Bach, Johann Sebastian - Prelude: "Ach Gott und Herr" for Oboe, Guitar & Cello BWV 692 Oboe, Guitar & Cello |
Composer : | Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685 - 1750) | ||
Instrumentation : | Oboe, Guitar & Cello | ||
Style : | Baroque | ||
Arranger : Publisher : | MAGATAGAN, MICHAEL (1960 - ) | ||
Copyright : | Public Domain | ||
Added by magataganm, 11 Sep 2022 Johann Sebastian Bach was a member of a family that had for generations been occupied in music. His sons were to continue the tradition, providing the foundation of a new style of music that prevailed in the later part of the eighteenth century. Johann Sebastian Bach himself represented the end of an age, the culmination of the Baroque in a magnificent synthesis of Italian melodic invention, French rhythmic dance forms and German contrapuntal mastery. Born in Eisenach in 1685, Bach was educated largely by his eldest brother, after the early death of his parents. At the age of eighteen he embarked on his career as a musician, serving first as a court musician at Weimar, before appointment as organist at Arnstadt. Four years later he moved to Mühlhausen as organist and the following year became organist and chamber musician to Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Weimar. Securing his release with difficulty, in 1717 he was appointed Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen and remained at Cöthen until 1723, when he moved to Leipzig as Cantor at the School of St.Thomas, with responsibility for the music of the five principal city churches. Bach was to remain in Leipzig until his death in 1750. As a craftsman obliged to fulfil the terms of his employment, Bach provided music suited to his various appointments. It was natural that his earlier work as an organist and something of an expert on the construction of organs, should result in music for that instrument. At Cöthen, where the Pietist leanings of the court made church music unnecessary, he provided a quantity of instrumental music for the court orchestra and its players. In Leipzig he began by composing series of cantatas for the church year, later turning his attention to instrumental music for the Collegium musicum of the University, and to the collection and ordering of his own compositions. The so-called Kirnberger Collection (BWV 690-713), a title now generally ignored in recent editions, is a collection of music by Bach copied by or for his pupil Johann Philipp Kirnberger. The latter was born in Saalfeld in 1721 and educated in Coburg and Cotha, before, in 1739, travelling to Leipzig for lessons in composition and performance with Bach. After a period spent in Poland, he returned to Dresden, moving then to Berlin as a violinist in the Prussian royal service. In 1754 he entered the service of Prince Heinrich of Prussia and four years later that of Princess Anna Amalia, remaining in this last position until his death in Berlin in 1783. Kirnberger had the highest regard for Bach, and did his utmost to bring about the posthumous publication of the latter's four-part chorale settings. It is suggested that the Partite diverse, chorale variations, date from about 1700, when Bach was at the Michaelisschule in Lüneburg. The first of these, the Partite diverse sopra Christ, du bist der helle Tag, BWV 766, is based on a chorale that is a Lutheran translation of the hymn Christe, qui lux es et dies, used as an evening hymn. In Partita I the chorale is harmonized, followed by Partita II, a bicinium. The second variation, Partita III, brings a rhythmic change in accompaniment figuration and Partita IV has further embroidery of the melody. In Partita V the chorale melody is in the tenor part, while in Partita VI the metre is 12/8. Partita VII, con pedale se piace, perhaps doubling the left hand, ends the set of variations. The first of the Kirnberger Chorales, Wit nur den lieben Gott läßt walten, BWV 690, takes as its basis the hymn by Georg Neumark, published in 1641 and generally to be sung on the Fifth Sunday after Trinity. It probably dates from the Weimar period, with the simpler version, BWV 691, written out by Bach in his note-book for his son Wilhelm Friedemann. The first, more contrapuntal version, like the second, has its chorale melody in the upper part. Ach Gott und Herr, BWV 692 and BWV 693, although included in his collection by Kimberger, are thought to be by Johann Gottfried Walther, a cousin and friend of Bach, since both versions seem to form part of Walther' s partita on the same melody. Wo soll ich fliehen hin, BWV 694 is dated to the period before Weimar and is for two manuals and pedals. It is based on a penitential hymn of 1630 by J. Heermaann. Here the chorale melody is played by the pedals, while there is a suggestion of the text (Whither shall I flee) in the running notes of the music. Source: Naxos (http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/blurbs_reviews.asp?item_ code=8.553134&catNum=553134&filetype=About+this+Recordi ng&language=English). Although originally written for Pipe Organ, I created this Interpretation of the Chorale Prelude (BWV 692) "Ach Gott und Herr" (Ah, my Lord and God) for Oboe, Classical Guitar & Cello. |
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