The Clavier-Übung III, sometimes referred to as the
German Organ Mass, is a collection of compositions for
organ by Johann Sebastian Bach, started in 1735–36
and published in 1739. It is considered Bach's most
significant and extensive work for organ, containing
some of his musically most complex and technically most
demanding compositions for that instrument.
In its use of modal forms, motet-style and canons, it
looks back to the religious music of masters of the
stile antico, such ...(+)
The Clavier-Übung III, sometimes referred to as the
German Organ Mass, is a collection of compositions for
organ by Johann Sebastian Bach, started in 1735–36
and published in 1739. It is considered Bach's most
significant and extensive work for organ, containing
some of his musically most complex and technically most
demanding compositions for that instrument.
In its use of modal forms, motet-style and canons, it
looks back to the religious music of masters of the
stile antico, such as Frescobaldi, Palestrina, Lotti
and Caldara. At the same time, Bach was
forward-looking, incorporating and distilling modern
baroque musical forms, such as the French-style
chorale.
The work has the form of an Organ Mass: between its
opening and closing movements—the prelude and "St
Anne" fugue in E-flat, BWV 552—are 21 chorale
preludes, BWV 669–689, setting parts of the Lutheran
mass and catechisms, followed by four duets, BWV
802–805. The chorale preludes range from compositions
for single keyboard to a six-part fugal prelude with
two parts in the pedal.
The purpose of the collection was fourfold: an
idealized organ programme, taking as its starting point
the organ recitals given by Bach himself in Leipzig; a
practical translation of Lutheran doctrine into musical
terms for devotional use in the church or the home; a
compendium of organ music in all possible styles and
idioms, both ancient and modern, and properly
internationalised; and as a didactic work presenting
examples of all possible forms of contrapuntal
composition, going far beyond previous treatises on
musical theory.
BWV 671 is a chorale motet for organum plenum and
pedal. The bass cantus firmus is in semibreves in the
pedal with four parts above in the keyboard: tenor,
alto and, exceptionally, two soprano parts, creating a
unique texture. The subject of the four part fugue in
the manuals is derived from the first two lines of the
cantus firmus and is answered by its inversion, typical
of the stile antico. The quaver motifs in ascending and
descending sequences, starting with dactyl figures and
becoming increasingly continuous, swirling and
scalelike, are a departure from the previous chorale
preludes. Among the stile antico features are movement
in steps and syncopation. Any tendency for the modal
key to become diatonic is counteracted by the
chromaticism of the final section where the flowing
quavers come to a sudden end. Over the final line of
the cantus firmus, the crotchet figures drop
successively by semitones with dramatic and unexpected
dissonances, recalling a similar but less extended
passage at the end of the five part chorale prelude O
lux beata of Matthias Weckmann. As Williams (2003)
suggests, the twelve descending chromatic steps seem
like supplications, repeated cries of eleison—"have
mercy".
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavier-%C3%9Cbung_III).
I created this transcription of the Chorale Motet (BWV
671) "Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist" (Kyrie, O God the
Holy Ghost) for Woodwind Quintet (Flute, Oboe, Bb
Clarinet, French Horn & Bassoon).
