Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr

BWV 662 performed by Reitze Smits
Lutheran church, The Hague

Go back

Behind the music

Story

Extra videos

Credits

Balm for the soul

In this song of praise, Bach focuses on the comfort that faith provides

It was not often that Bach gave an indication of tempo in his chorale arrangements, but he wrote ‘adagio’ above this version of ‘Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr’. He apparently wanted no misunderstandings about the atmosphere he had in mind for this composition. He could have also lent a festive air to these words of praise, especially in view of his choice of two keyboards and pedal. But what we hear is balm for the soul. It is not far-fetched to link these flowing, calm lines to a significant phrase in the first verse of the text: ‘…darum dass nun und nimmermehr uns rühren kan kein Schade’ (…so that no harm can ever come to us any more). The comfort exuded by these reassuring words fits perfectly with the tone of this solemn, expressive piece. The chorale melody is heard clearly in the upper voice, while being richly ornamented. The two lower voices function merely as accompaniment, and discharge their duty with great dedication and unanimity. Nothing disrupts the divine promise.

18 Choräle/Leipziger Choräle, BWV 651-668
In the last ten years of his life, Bach gathered together and completed a series of chorale arrangements, presumably planning to have them published, just like the third part of the Clavier-Übung in 1739. It concerns a selection of his compositions from much earlier years, when he was working as an organist in Weimar, Arnstadt and Mühlhausen. The collection became known as the 18 Choräle or Leipziger Choräle.

BWV: 662
Title: Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr
Instrument: organ
Genre: organ works
Serie: 18 Choräle (organ)
Year: 1708-1717/1739-1742
City: Weimar/Leipzig
Special notes: There is an early, more sober version of this composition from Bach's time in Weimar: BWV 662a.

Extra videos

Organist Reitze Smits

“You'd like to play it with two hands, but you must use only one... - why does Bach make things so difficult for the performer?”

Vocal texts

Original

Translation

Credits

Release date

11 July 2014
Recording date

29 November 2013
Location

Lutheran Church, The Hague
Organist

Reitze Smits
Organ registration

Arjan de Vos
Organ

Johann Heinrich Hartmann Bätz, 1762
Producer

Frank van der Weij
Film director

Jan Van den Bossche
Directors of photography

Jorrit Garretsen, Sal Kroonenberg
Music production, editing and mix

Holger Schlegel
Film editor

Dylan Glyn Jones
Colorist

Jef Grosfeld
Production assistants

Imke Deters, Zoë de Wilde

Discover