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 673 is a fughetta for four voices, 30 bars long, in
compound 6/8 time. It has been described by Williams
(2003) as "a movement of immense subtlety". The
subject, three and a half bars long, is derived from
the first line of the cantus firmus. The semiquaver
scale motif in bar 4 is also related and is much
developed throughout the piece. The countersubject,
which is taken from the subject itself, uses the same
syncopated leaping motif as the earlier Jesus Christus
unser Heiland BWV 626 from the Orgelbüchlein, similar
to gigue-like figures used earlier by Buxtehude in his
chorale prelude Auf meinen lieben Gott BuxWV 179; it
has been interpreted as symbolising the triumph of the
risen Christ over death. In contrast to the preceding
fughetta, the writing in BWV 673 has a playful lilting
quality, but again it is modal, unconventional,
inventive and non-formulaic, even if governed
throughout by aspects of the cantus firmus. The
fughetta starts in the key of C major, modulating to D
minor, then moving to A minor before the final cadence.
Fluidity comes from the many passages with parallel
thirds and sixths. Original features of the
contrapuntal writing include the variety of entries of
the subject (all notes of the scale except G), which
occur in stretto and in canon.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavier-%C3%9Cbung_III).
Although originally created for Organ, I created this
Interpretation of the Fughetta (BWV 673) "Christe,
aller Welt Trost" (Christ, Comfort of all the world)
for Double-Reed Quartet (Oboe, English Horn, Bass Oboe
& Bassoon).
