Schübler Chorales
Encyclopedia
Schübler Chorales is a name usually given to the Sechs Chorale von verschiedener Art ('Six Chorales of Various Kinds') for organ (BWV 645–650), a collection of six chorale prelude
s by Johann Sebastian Bach
, issued around 1748. The title 'Schübler Chorales' derives from the engraver and publisher Johann Georg Schübler, who is named on the title page. All six of the preludes are for an organ with two manuals and pedal, at least five of them transcribed from movements in Bach's cantatas, as follows:
Since no source has been found for BWV 646, most scholars assume that the source cantata is one of the 100 or so believed to have been lost. The trio scoring of the movement suggests the original may have been for violin
, or possibly violins and viola
s in unison (right hand), and continuo (left hand), with the chorale (pedal) sung by soprano
or alto
.
The fact that Bach had gone to the trouble and expense of securing the services of a master engraver to produce a collection of note-for-note transcriptions of this kind indicates that he did not regard the Schübler Chorales as a minor piece of hack-work, but as a significant public statement, worthy of the same serious consideration of his other engraved collections of keyboard music. These six chorales provide approachable character from his cantatas through the more marketable medium of keyboard transcriptions.
Chorale prelude
In music, a chorale prelude is a short liturgical composition for organ using a chorale tune as its basis. It was a predominant style of the German Baroque era and reached its culmination in the works of J.S. Bach, who wrote 46 examples of the form in his Orgelbüchlein.-Function:The liturgical...
s by Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
, issued around 1748. The title 'Schübler Chorales' derives from the engraver and publisher Johann Georg Schübler, who is named on the title page. All six of the preludes are for an organ with two manuals and pedal, at least five of them transcribed from movements in Bach's cantatas, as follows:
| BWV | Chorale Name | Transcribed from |
| 645 | Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme ("Wake, Awake for Night is Passing") | Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140, movement 4 (tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... chorale) |
| 646 | Wo soll ich fliehen hin ("Whither shall I flee?") | ? lost cantata (see below) |
| 647 | Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten ("Who allows God alone to rule him") | Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten, BWV 93 Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten, BWV 93 Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten , BWV 93, is a cantata of Johann Sebastian Bach, written in Leipzig for the fifth Sunday after Trinity, first performed on 9 July 1724.-History:... , movement 4 (duet for soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... and alto Alto Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,... ) |
| 648 | Meine Seele erhebt den Herren ("My soul doth magnify the Lord") | Meine Seel erhebt den Herren, BWV 10, movement 5 (duet for alto and tenor, chorale instrumental) |
| 649 | Ach bleib bei uns, Herr Jesu Christ ("Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide") | Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden, BWV 6, movement 3 (soprano chorale) |
| 650 | Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter auf Erden ("Come thou, Jesu, from heaven to earth") | Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, BWV 137 Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, BWV 137 Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren , BWV 137, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the chorale cantata in Leipzig for the twelfth Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 19 August 1725.-History and words:Bach composed the cantata in Leipzig for Twelfth Sunday... , movement 2 (alto solo) |
Since no source has been found for BWV 646, most scholars assume that the source cantata is one of the 100 or so believed to have been lost. The trio scoring of the movement suggests the original may have been for violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, or possibly violins and viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
s in unison (right hand), and continuo (left hand), with the chorale (pedal) sung by soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
or alto
Alto
Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
.
The fact that Bach had gone to the trouble and expense of securing the services of a master engraver to produce a collection of note-for-note transcriptions of this kind indicates that he did not regard the Schübler Chorales as a minor piece of hack-work, but as a significant public statement, worthy of the same serious consideration of his other engraved collections of keyboard music. These six chorales provide approachable character from his cantatas through the more marketable medium of keyboard transcriptions.
External links
- Free downloads of the Schübler Chorales recorded by James KibbieJames KibbieJames Kibbie is an American concert organist, recording artist and pedagogue. He is Professor of Organ at the University of Michigan.- Biography :James Kibbie was born in 1949 in Vinton, Iowa, USA...
on the 1724–30 Trost organ in the Stadtkirche, Waltershausen, Germany: either search for individual works or download the whole collection - Performances on virtual organs and harpsichords