Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her
BWV 700 performed by Elske te Lindert
Bovenkerk, Kampen
Behind the music
Story
Story
Extra videos
Extra videos
Credits
Credits
Pretend fugue
The angel descends to earth in a wonderful grand opening
For this piece, Bach arranged a cheerful Christmas chorale, with words and music written by Luther himself. The first two lines of the chorale paraphrase the words of the angel who brings the glad tidings to the shepherds: “I descend from heaven on high; I bring you wonderful new tidings”. It has been suggested that in Luther’s day this chorale was sung at the traditional Christmas play of the biblical nativity, where sometimes an angel came down on a rope. Bach does something similar at the beginning of this chorale arrangement. In the opening bars, it seems like he will use the chorale in a perfect fugue. The four parts come in one after another, from high to low, with the first line of the chorale melody. This is followed by a few pretend entrances, giving the impression that there are more than four parts, and the pedal eventually joins in after twenty bars. But then, as if the young Bach (it is an early work) had underestimated this ambitious intention, the piece continues with freer imitations and figurations of the chorale melody.
Various German composers from previous generations had already composed organ arrangements of this popular chorale. And Bach himself took every opportunity. A couple of years before his death, almost as if to show that of course he could handle that strict counterpoint, Bach was to write a whole series of ‘canonic variations’ based on Vom Himmel hoch (BWV 769).
Kirnbergerschen Sammlung, BWV 690-713
Bach cherished a great many of his compositions, ensuring that they were collected or recycled, and – if at all possible – published. But there are also pieces that missed the boat, such as the twenty-four early organ compositions now known as the Kirnbergerschen Sammlung. We owe the survival of these works to Bach’s pupil Johann Kirnberger, who collected twenty-four organ compositions, among other pieces, following the death of his master. The most striking thing about this collection is its lack of cohesion. The only similarity between the works is that they probably all date from the period before 1710.
- BWV
- 700
- Title
- Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her
- Instrument
- organ
- Genre
- organ works
- Serie
- Kirnbergerschen Sammlung (organ)
- Year
- before 1710
- City
- Mühlhausen or Weimar
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
Translation
Credits
-
- Release date
- 23 December 2016
-
- Recording date
- 1 October 2015
-
- Location
- Bovenkerk, Kampen
-
- Organist
- Elske te Lindert
-
- Organ
- Albertus Antoni Hinsz, 1742
-
- Director
- Jan Van den Bossche, Hanna Schreuders
-
- Music recording, edit and mix
- Guido Tichelman
-
- Camera
- Maarten van Rossem, Gijs Besseling
-
- Film editor and interview
- Gijs Besseling
-
- Producer
- Jessie Verbrugh
Discover
Help us to complete All of Bach
There are still many recordings to be made before the whole of Bach’s oeuvre is online. And we can’t complete the task without the financial support of our patrons. Please help us to complete the musical heritage of Bach, by supporting us with a donation!