Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, Art, and WorkForkel, Johann Nikolaus
History
Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, Art, and Work
Forkel, Johann Nikolaus
Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750; Composers -- Germany -- Biography
289 They are all printed in Novello bk. 19, and are three in number, on
the melodies “Christ, der du bist der helle Tag”, “O Gott, du
frommer Gott,” and “Sei gegrüsset, Jesu gütig.” The pedal is only
required in one movement of the first, in none of the second, and
considerably in the third. Without question all three date from
Bach’s earliest period, but whether they were written at Arnstadt or
Lüneburg cannot be stated.
290 The fullest collection of these miscellaneous Organ Choral Preludes
is in B.G. XL. Not counting variant readings they number fifty-two,
besides two fragments and thirteen of doubtful authenticity, of
which two are sets of Variations. The Novello edition contains
fifty-two in bks. 18 and 19. To these must be added the “Eighteen”
Preludes on Choral Melodies, which Forkel nowhere mentions, as well
as the third Part of the _Clavierübung,_ the _Schübler Chorals,_ and
the Variations on _Vom Himmel hoch,_ to which he has already made
reference in the first section of this chapter. As he does not
mention it specifically, it is to be inferred that Forkel was
ignorant of the existence of the _Orgelbüchlein_; otherwise he could
hardly have failed to introduce it in this section. All Bach’s
Choral Preludes, miscellaneous and in collections made by himself,
are in Novello’s edition, bks. 15-19. A useful key to their
melodies is provided by bk. 20. For more detailed information see
Terry, _Bach’s Chorals,_ Part III.
291 The large number of MSS. of many of the miscellaneous Preludes is
made evident in the introduction to B.G. XL.
292 The Sonatas in E flat major, C minor, and D minor are in N. bk. 4; E
minor, C major, G major in N. bk. 5.
293 The so-called “Sonatas” were actually written for a Clavicembalo
with two manuals and a pedal. Bach’s Autograph of them belonged to
his second son and an earlier copy of them to Wilhelm Friedemann.
Both are now in the Berlin Royal Library. Friedemann went to
Dresden as Organist in 1733 and Spitta is of opinion that the whole
of the six Sonatas were in existence by or soon after 1727. If so,
they must be regarded as the outcome of Bach’s early years at
Leipzig. See Spitta, iii. 212 ff. and Schweitzer, i. 278.
294 None are extant. Spitta, iii. 213 n., conjectures that Forkel
refers to the Trios in D minor and C minor (N. bks. 2 p. 54, 12 p.
108) and the Pastorale in F major (N. bk. 12 p. 102.) His incomplete
knowledge of the Organ works is revealed by Appendix V. infra.
295 This is a pure conjecture and Schweitzer scouts it (i. 416 n.).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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