The Little Organ Book
Anne Laver, organ · Circa 1600
Saturday, January 21 at 3 P.M.
Bachgrounder lecture 35 minutes before performance
During Bach’s years in Weimar (1708-1717) he conceived and began work upon the Orgelbüchlein, an enormous collection of 164 brief organ preludes on Lutheran chorales for the entire church year. These would have been used to introduce congregational singing of the chorales, or perhaps as occasional music to accompany various sections of the liturgy. In the event, 46 of the settings were completed. Together they form a magical compendium of techniques and creative solutions which bring to vivid life these beloved melodies. Anne Laver will play many of the preludes, adding several from the modern ‘Orgelbüchlein Project’, which aims to complete the set; Circa 1600 will introduce the chorale melodies.
Anne Laver, organ · Circa 1600
Saturday, January 21 at 3 P.M.
Bachgrounder lecture 35 minutes before performance
During Bach’s years in Weimar (1708-1717) he conceived and began work upon the Orgelbüchlein, an enormous collection of 164 brief organ preludes on Lutheran chorales for the entire church year. These would have been used to introduce congregational singing of the chorales, or perhaps as occasional music to accompany various sections of the liturgy. In the event, 46 of the settings were completed. Together they form a magical compendium of techniques and creative solutions which bring to vivid life these beloved melodies. Anne Laver will play many of the preludes, adding several from the modern ‘Orgelbüchlein Project’, which aims to complete the set; Circa 1600 will introduce the chorale melodies.
Christian Richter, Weimar Schloßkapelle, c1660
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Anne Laver, organ
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Circa 1600
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“Here Bach has realised the ideal of the chorale prelude. The method is the most simple imaginable and at the same time the most perfect. Nowhere is the Dürer-like character of his musical style so evident as in these small pieces. Simply by the precision and the characteristic quality of each line of the contrapuntal motive he expresses all that has to be said, and so makes clear the relationship of the music to the text whose title it bears.” —Albert Schweizer, 1905