J. S. Bach’s « Orgelbüchlein » , 45 Chorale-Preludes BWV 599-644

arranged for SATB Saxophone Quartet by Paul Wehage

In 1614 during his period at Weimar, J. S. Bach started a project which was projected to be settings of 161 Protestant Chorales. Out of this number, Bach completed 45 (a 46th setting was left incomplete and is not included in this collection), of which 33 follow the Liturgical Year, including four chorales for Advent, thirteen for Christmas and New Year, thirteen for Holy Week and Easter and the following 12 illustrate aspects of Christian Life. When Bach accepted the post of Court musician at Cöthen, a Calvinist town where organ was not used in Church Services, Bach abandoned the project, although he did dedicate the imcomplete work to the Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen, his new employer.

A key to understanding Bach’s intentions in producing this work is found in the introduction in the autograph manuscript : « wherein the beginning organist may learn to perform chorales of every sort and also acquire facility in the use of the pedal which, in the chorales found herein, is handled entirely obbligato. ». This work was clearly intended to provide examples of Bach’s manner of approaching these liturgical compositions in order to provide models for other organists to imitate. The work uses all forms of choral settings, including Canonic imitation (in eight of the 45 settings), ornamentation in the soprano voice, and other contrepunctal forms. Most of the works are written in four voices, with the soprano voice playing the choral theme.

There are two instances of five voice writing where the Alto or Tenor voices play two voices at the same time. I have used my arrangements of the Violin Sonatas and Partitas as models in realizing what clearly must be an illusion. Great care should be taken in allowing the two voices to sound, especially regarding sensitivity to the acoustic in which the work is performed.

Bach’s main preoccupation in writing this work was the musical illustration of the texts according to the idea of the « doctrine of affactations. A famous example of this is the falling pedal lines in no. 38 «Durch Adams Fall» which represent the fall of Adam, but there are examples of « sound painting » in all of these settings. I have not indicated tempi, nor dynamics, since this should be part of the musical research of each ensemble performing these arrangements. Generally, clarity of articulation and presentation of the Chorale theme should be priorities. I have taken the liberty of realizing the ornaments, which may be modified according to the tempi chosen. It is important however that all ornaments remain mesured. I have also indicated breath marks in the chorale themes, in order that the themes be properly phrased. The other instruments should generally not follow this phrasing, as the voices are generally indépendant.

Finally, quoting from Bach’s dedication to this work, the idea of performing « for the sole Honor of the Supreme God and for the instruction of others » (regardless of one’s personal beliefs) is perhaps the greatest guide in finding the key to these works. I hope that these arrangements will allow saxophonists everywhere to have access to these works.

Paul Wehage

Lagny-sur-Marne, France

January 28, 2006