Kari Vuola & Cantus Mercurialis - Bach, J.s.: Choral Music (CD)

Release Date: 01/01/07

Much of the organ repertoire by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) consists of works based on traditional liturgical chor

Much of the organ repertoire by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) consists of works based on traditional liturgical chorales - on melodies intended to be chanted by the congregation. The present CD contains a set of Bach organ chorales for Advent and Christmas. In addition to the four isolated works suitable for the Christmas season, it includes all the compositions for Advent and Christmas from the Orgelbüchlein collection. Most of the 46 organ works in this renowned collection were composed while Bach was working at the Weimar court in 1708-1717. Not unlike the Well-Tempered Clavier with its recurring preludes and fugues, the Orgelbüchlein is an interesting document of the way Bach repeatedly set out to solve a problem, each time fi nding fresh solutions. In these organ works, his task was to compose music based on well-known chorale melodies used in church services. Religiousmusic had, of course, been composed along similar lines for centuries, but Bach's solutions were nevertheless unique- to the point that the most common type of composition in the collection later acquired the epithet 'Orgelbüchlein type'.