Bach: Complete Organ Works Vol. 1 Preludes and Fugues I - with CD-ROM - ed. by David Schulenberg As close as possible to Bach In his ?Preludes and Fugues,? Johann Sebastian Bach made decisive contributions to the development of this genre tradition. The importance of this work group in his own organ oeuvre is confirmed by the many transmitted sources: hardly any autographs, but all the more copies. The genesis of the works and the question of versions associated with it are described at length in the introduction. In his new edition, editor David Schulenberg occasionally makes a new evaluation of the transmitted sources. To do so, he based himself as faithfully as possible on the manuscripts that can be traced back to Bach or to his circle. Here the American Bach expert generally chooses one source as his principal one. Divergences from other sources are documented in the Commentary. On the whole, the new Urtext edition sometimes also emends some long-cherished readings of ornaments, voice leading and notation. Also printed in Volume 1 is, for example, the early version of the C major Prelude BWV 545 as well as the inserted Trio movement of the three-movement version of this work. As with the previously published volumes, the CD-ROM enclosed in Volumes 1 and 2 contains dubious works and secondary versions for comparison with the principal versions. This time, the CD-ROMs are completely in German and English and feature the English version of the Commentary.

The Prelude de Profundis is excerpted from two sets of Preludes Howells composed for Organ of which this is the first of the second set. Entirely different in mood from the nervous energy of the Rhapsody Prelude de Profundis expresses the call ‘from the depths’.Herbert Howells is a giant of 20th century Anglican church music the remainder of whose oeuvre is in the process of gaining new appreciation.He left a body of distinguished Organ music of which these two works are fine examples. Howells’s first three rhapsodies for Organ were published together during the years of the first World War. It was not until forty years later that Howells returned to the form until although it shares many structural similarities with the earlier works.

John Stanley (1713-1786) was a British composer conductor and organist. Having learnt to play the Organ at the age of seven he became the youngest person to ever obtain a B.Mus. degree from Oxford at the age of 17. He was appointed Master of the King’s Musick in 1779 and wrote many odes for the monarch. However most of his music has now been lost and only his Organ works have remained in popular use to this day.Prelude and Bell Allegro for Organ have been edited and arranged by the American composer Patrick Williams (b. 1939).

Prelude Pastorale and Fugue is scored for solo Organ. Craig Seller Lang (1891-1971) was a British composer organist and musical pedagogue who was born in New Zealand. He studied at the Royal College of Music before becoming a teacher at Christ’s Hospital School. His compositions were mostly written with a student performer in mind. He is best remembered for his seminal educational Organ books but he also created prolific volumes of material in both sacred and secular choral genres.

Prelude On Lasst Uns Erfreuen is a work by renowned contemporary composer Nico Muhly for Organ. Lasting around 6 minutes it was composed in 2007. The composition was dedicated to Alison Shafer commemorating 25 years of service for Christian Lane and the Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ Frederick Maryland. In the September/October 2015 issue of Choir & Organ Stephen Farr writes that this work 'applies a variety of motivic treatments and a corresponding variety of rhythmic twists to the well-known melody...would be effective in either concert or liturgicalcontexts'.

Prelude and Finale for solo Organ was published posthumously in 1943 making it the last of Hollins' considerable oeuvre to become available to the public. Like most of his music it is relatively simple in structure but joyful and highly entertaining.Alfred Hollins (1865-1942) was an inspirational British organist composer and teacher. Blind from birth he travelled all over the UK the United States and the British Empire giving concerts and designing Organs. He eventually settled in Scotland where he was an organist in Edinburgh for over forty years.