Musicologists always try to date compositions. That is not just a matter
of curiosity: it allows us an insight into the development of a composer and
the various influences in his oeuvre. That is certainly the case with Johann
Sebastian Bach. Over the years various recordings have been devoted to his
early compositions, written during his formative years. At the time he was a
pupil of his elder brother Johann Christoph and then the organist Georg
Böhm. Through them he became acquainted with the various European
styles.
The present disc includes organ works which were written between 1702 and
1708. In 1700 Bach went to Lüneburg where he got to know Georg Böhm.
According to his son Carl Philipp Emanuel, his father studied Böhm's
music, and there is reason to believe that he was even his pupil. There can
be little doubt about Böhm's influence on Bach, for instance in his
chorale partitas. One example is included in the programme, the
Partite
diverse sopra il Corale Ach, was soll ich Sünder machen (BWV 770). This
dates from around 1704. In this piece we also find influences of Johann
Pachelbel, one of Germany's most prominent organists around 1700. He
was the teacher of Bach's brother Johann Christoph.
During his time in Lüneburg Bach paid several visits to Hamburg, the
centre of the North German organ school. He was mainly attracted by Johann
Adam Reinken, another composer who greatly influenced him. It is not
documented that the two met personally at the time, but Bach used every
opportunity to hear him play. He was also deeply impressed by the organs he
heard whose possibilities were fully explored by Reinken. Bach left Lüneburg
in 1702 and after a short service in Weimar he became organist in Arnstadt.
In this period he made a voyage to Lübeck to hear Dieterich Buxtehude,
another composer who had a major influence on his development as a performer
and composer.
In the pieces recorded here by Harald Vogel the influences of the North
German organ school are most pronounced. The programme opens with the
Prelude and fugue in C (BWV 531); the prelude begins with a
brilliant solo in the bass, played at the pedal, with the repeats performed
here at the
Hauptwerk. The fugue shows strong similarity to the
harpsichord pieces which Bach composed at the same time. At the end of the
programme Vogel plays another piece in the North German style, the famous
Toccata in d minor (BWV 565). Its authenticity is often disputed,
and some believe that it was originally conceived as a piece for violin
solo. Vogel doesn't show any doubt about Bach's authorship,
nor does he think that there is any evidence that it was written for violin.
"In this work the young Bach experimented with a profusion of virtuosic
forms and stylistic elements. He left the old models far behind him,
establishing whilst still in Arnstadt (1703-1706) his lifelong reputation as
an outstanding organ virtuoso." Especially interesting is the
Prelude and fugue in g minor (BWV 535a & 535). The two versions
of the prelude shows the change in style: the first begins with a solo
episode for the manual which has the description
passaggio, a term
which refers to the early baroque period and indicates that it should be
played in a rhythmically free style. The second version requires a more
'disciplined' performance; in its centre is again a solo for
the manual.
The various pieces based on chorales also display Bach's
development as a composer. They also bear witness to the different forms in
which a chorale melody could be treated.
Wie nach einer
Wasserquelle (BWV 1121),
Herzlich lieb hab ich dich (BWV 1115)
and
Ach Herr mich armen Sünder (BWV 742) are all from the so-called
Neumeister-Sammlung. This collection dates from 1702 and the
melodies are arranged in various ways. The first shows the influence of
Pachelbel, especially in the anticipatory imitation of the
cantus
firmus. The second bears the traces of a North-German chorale fantasia.
The lower parts are relatively straightforward, whereas in later chorale
arrangements these parts are much more elaborated. That is the case, for
instance, in
Nun freut euch, lieben Christen gmein (BWV 734) which
is a trio with an
obbligato pedal part.
During his career Bach often used material by other composers for his own
works. Sometimes he arranged a complete piece for harpsichord (a sonata for
strings by Reinken) or organ (concertos by Vivaldi). In other cases he took
a theme as the subject of a fugue. Among the composers who inspired him were
Albinoni and Corelli. The
Fugue in b minor (BWV 579) is based on
the subject of the second movement from Corelli's sonata op. 3,4.
Bach adds a fourth part to the original three-part texture, adapts the
harmony and adds interludes.
Bach's organ works are fairly well-known. However, the compositions
from his early years are not that often performed and recorded. That makes
this disc an interesting addition to the Bach discography. It is
particularly interesting to hear them in their historical context, showing
how Bach developed his compositional style in the various genres. Harald
Vogel's liner-notes are informative and help to understand the
character of the pieces he has selected. The organ is a beautiful instrument
by the Hamburg organ builder Arp Schnitger. It was originally built in 1680
for the St. Johannis-Klosterkirche in Hamburg. In 1816 it was moved to the
St. Peter und Paul in Cappel. It is a little unfortunate that the tuning is
close to equal temperament. It seems likely that meantone temperament was
still quite common at the time Bach wrote these pieces. The acoustic is a
bit on the dry side; more reverberation would have been preferable.
Harald Vogel is an expert in German organ music of the 17th and 18th
centuries, and has made many recordings. I have to say that I am not that
impressed by his approach to Bach interpretation. His playing is too
straightforward, his articulation could have been sharper, and there should
have been a greater differentiation between good and bad notes. Here most
notes are accorded their full length. There are generally too few breathing
spaces, and as a result these performances tend to towards the massive. That
is certainly the case with the
Toccata in d minor which is too
heavy-handed and should be played in a freer style, probably also with a
somewhat more modest registration. Lastly, interpreters have different
opinions about the change of registration during play. The late Ewald
Kooiman believed that organists only changed the registration when they
could do it themselves, with short pauses between sections. Vogel has
different opinions in this matter, and that explains the many changes of
registration within single pieces. I can't say with any security who
is right, but I tend to think that Kooiman was probably closer to the truth
than Vogel. Musically speaking I find a single registration for a piece or a
particular section more satisfying than the variety in registration which is
the norm here.
All in all, a most interesting disc which lovers of Bach's organ
music should not miss, but not entirely satisfying as far as the
interpretation is concerned.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
