Bach: Schübler Chorale “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” BWV 645 / Helmut Walcha et al.
A chorale prelude composed based on a chorale melody by Philipp Nicolai. As usual, I compared the following performances.
① Simon Preston (2010, recorded 1980～)
② David Goode (2020)
③ Helmut Walcha (1956 – 1962)
④ Helmut Walcha (1947 – 1952), monaural
⑤ Bernard Foccroulle (1982 – 1997)
⑥ Stefano Molardi (2013)
⑦ Peter Hurford (1974 – 1986)
⑧ Wolfgang Rübsam (1996)
⑨ Marie-Claire Alain (1959 – 1967)
⑩ Marie-Claire Alain (1978 – 1980)
⑪ Ton Koopman (1994 – 1999)
① Preston plays the accompaniment on the woodwind flute pipe and the chorale on a reed pipe. ② Goode uses almost the same stops, but at a slightly faster tempo. ③ Walcha plays the accompaniment on the reed and flute pipes with a brilliant principal, and the chorale melody on the reed pipe. ④ Walcha plays the accompaniment including high-pitched reeds, chorale on the reed and flute pipes with the principal. ⑤ Foccroulle plays the accompaniment on a quiet woodwind flute pipe, on the reed chorale but both the volume is restrained. ⑥ Molardi seems to use the reed and principal for the accompaniment, for the choral, with the flute pipe. The pedal is reinforced with the 16 feet pipe. ⑦ Hurford mainly uses reed pipes for both the chorale and the accompaniment. ⑧ Rübsam plays the chorale melody on the reed pipe with the woodwind flute pipe the accompaniment. In ⑨ and ⑩, Alain plays the chorale on the reed pipe, accompaniment by a brilliant principal. In ⑪, Koopman plays at a faster tempo, on the principal for the accompaniment and on the chorale with the reed pipe. Thus, the true pleasure of listening to German organ music, including that of Bach, lies in the performer’s choice of stops. It’s as if different instruments are playing the same part of an orchestral piece, so it’s no exaggeration to say that there are countless permutations and combinations. #baroque #bach #organ #fugue #片山俊幸
https://excelkobo.net/bachwerke/archive/BWV0645-0650.pdf
