Prelude and fugue in D major
BWV 532 performed by Leo van Doeselaar
Walburgiskerk, Zutphen
Behind the music
Story
Story
Credits
Credits
Youthful bravura
Ambitious monument for German organ playing
In the first stage of his career, Bach worked mainly as an organist. First there were the four formative years in Arnstadt. Then came Mühlhausen - short but sweet - where the young keyboard lion not only played lots of music, but also initiated a radical modernisation of the organ. And then came his permanent position in Weimar, which provided enough stability for Bach to make a start in 1711-12 on his Orgelbüchlein: a collection of chorale preludes that was to occupy him for eight years.
The pieces in such an encyclopaedic collection were sometimes used for didactic purposes. Or they were concert pieces – like this tremendous ‘pièce d’orgue’ BWV 532. As there are no direct sources, the dating is guesswork, although it is probably from 1708-1712, when Bach was still experimenting a great deal with style. Neither do we know an occasion, nor when the prelude and fugue were combined for the first time.
What we do know, however, is that Bach wanted to make an impression! From the pure bravura with which the prelude opens to the jubilant ending, the music leaps from one intense emotion to another with aplomb. The prelude has three sections, is alternately German and Italian/French in style and features a provocative clash between sunny D major and dusky F-sharp minor, filled with ties.
The fugue is famed for Pachelbel’s note: ‘[here] you have to really let the feet fly’. We hear the playful, violin-like theme in all sorts of ways; sometimes complete, sometimes just half, and sometimes also in two separate sections or divided over the parts. And the ending has the effect of a monumental exclamation mark.
- BWV
- 532
- Title
- Prelude and fugue in D major
- Instrument
- organ
- Genre
- organ works
- Year
- 1708-1712?
- City
- Weimar?
With support from
Julia Cissewski and Greville Corbett
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
Translation
Credits
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- Release date
- 11 October 2024
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- Recording date
- 27 May 2024
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- Location
- Walburgiskerk, Zutphen
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- Organ
- Leo van Doeselaar
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- Instrument
- Henrick Bader, 1639/1643
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- Director and editor
- Gijs Besseling
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- Music recording
- Guido Tichelman, Pim van der Lee
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- Music edit and mix
- Guido Tichelman
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- Camera
- Danny Noordanus, Manon Hoskens, Remco van Leest
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- Grip
- Wouter Visser
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- Assistant music recording
- Marloes Biermans
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- Producer
- Lisanne Marlou de Kok
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- With support from
- Julia Cissewski and Greville Corbett
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