Topic: My 4 variations/improvisations (Preludes to a chorale )
My 4 variations/improvisations (Preludes to a chorale ) on Chorale ”Den blomstertid nu kommer, Now the time of blossoming arrives”
I have played this hymn with Organteq, but the reason I made 4 variations / Improvisations preludes on a hymn, hallf minutes long, is that I remember listening to a drastic / extreme / funny protocol from the interrogation with Bach, when coming home from being at Buxtehude 16 weeks, away from work as organist (with a cousin as substitute). It ended up that Bach then after played only half minutes preludes. I was listening to a recorded radio program about the interrogation from a Tandberg reel to reel tape recorder sometime 1979 - 1980. I put it once on CD to save it but can not find it now.
I wanted to do the same as Bach, preludes for hymn, not too complicated and not too long..
The interrogation about as I remember plus something from the internet:
When Bach had been listening to Buxtehude’s playing 16 weeks and returned home, the consistory / cathedral chapter summoned him for questioning. He had extended a granted four-week stay in Lübeck to 16 weeks, he would now be put in place.
You were given 4 weeks off and were away for sixteen weeks, remember who pays the salary !
Bach: But it went to my substitute, (he had put his cousin on the organ bench in the meantime).
It does not belong here. And we have other complaints. You improvise and play such long and complicated preludes that one do not know which hymn/psalm to sing in the service (an old farmer had complained)
Bach: Well, how long should a prelude, hymn intro, then be?
Half a minute should be enough maybe…
Bach then never played more preludes that were longer than half a minute.
Then came more complaints, he had a young virgin in church, they played and sang….
The whispering / gossip ended when Bach married her, a relative, Maria Barbara Bach (they had 7 children) He later married Anna Magdalena (they had 13 children) Bach had 20 children !
Summary
Reproaches from the employer, and the conflict led Bach in 1707 to take another position at Blasius Church in Mühlhausen.
The last job was in Leipzig, where he got an eye disease which left him blind after two failed operations. He died on July 28, 1750.
Bach was also one month in ”prison”
The Duke of Weimar put Bach under house arrest in the castle tower until he could come up with better ideas (to not search another job) which Bach did not do in a month. He used that month instead to write down his ”Orgelbüchlein".
Summary 2
My 4 about half minutes hymn preludes which are not long and complicated (I hope)
You can listen to my playing ”Now the time of blossoming arrives” (Den
blomstertid nu kommer) via my link if you want to compare if one can know that it is this hymn that is to be sung with any of my 4 intros. Attaching link.
The link is after my 4 preludes.
Link to ”Den blomstertid nu kommer, "Now the time of blossoming arrives”
Best wishes,
Pianoteqenthusiast, Organteqenthusiast, Harpteqenthusiast,
Stig
