Bach: Bb fugue, & Ach Gott und Herr - Bradley Lehman, organ

Bach's fugue in B-flat major (BWV 890) from the "Well-Tempered Clavier" book 2, and chorale prelude "Ach Gott und Herr" (BWV 714) as found in the Neumeister Collection.

Bradley Lehman, organ. From a concert 23 September 2007 at Goshen College, Goshen Indiana. Taylor & Boody Opus 41.

Joseph Kerman wrote of this B-flat major fugue: "This work is one of Bach's more subtle inventions--a light-hearted fugue for connoisseurs, we should probably acknowledge, one that also labors under a further handicap, that of sharing space with one of the composer's most radiant (and longest) preludes." (_The Art of Fugue_, 2005, p125)

As Mark Lindley pointed out in a 1994-97 article, the chorale prelude "Ach Gott und Herr" BWV 714 has "the most straightforward uses of C#-major (or Db-major) triads that I have found in Bach's organ music." (Michaelstein Conference report, 1997, p50) It therefore makes an excellent tuning test for setting up an organ appropriately....

I like to listen to these two short pieces together because they provide such a beautiful simplicity, and a strong contrast of character. They are both slow and quiet, but so very different from one another.

There are two or three very minor finger and toe slips in this performance, sorry! Audience coughs and rustling at a few places, too.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• johann
• sebastian
• bach
• organ
• fugue
• well
• tempered
• clavier
• chorale
• prelude
• orgel
• orgue
• organo
• lehman
• ach
• gott
• herr
• goshen

[OlivesAREyum]

when does Ach Gott und Herr start?

[thebpl]

Near 3'20", where it brings up a caption announcing that piece.

[pautalux]

Wonderful! 5 stars for Ach Gott und Herr!