The Organ Repertoire of J.S. Bach
We can’t really discuss Johann Sebastian Bach without mentioning that during his life, Bach was known more widely as an organist than a composer. He also held several posts under local nobility or royalty as court organist, Kapellmeister, and Kantor, the latter two positions indicating responsibility for directing choirs in addition to organ performance.
In 1704, early in his career, young J. Sebastian walked nearly 250 miles to study under the most noted organist of that time, Dieterich Buxtehude. Intending to stay for one month, he stayed for five; Buxtehude’s style became a firm foundation for Bach’s own work on the organ. To this strong foundation in the German tradition, Bach showed a flair for incorporating styles of other regions, notably French and Italian influences.
Bach’s most productive years for organ composition were from 1708 – 1714, while he served as court organist in Weimar. During this time he wrote some of his most famous pairs of toccatas & fugues and preludes & fugues. These included the “Chromatic” Fantasia & Fugue in D minor (BWV 903), the “Dorian” Toccata & Fugue in D minor (BWV 538), the Toccata, Adagio and Fugue (BWV 564), the Fantasia & Fugue in G minor (BWV 542), and of course, the ever-popular Toccata & Fugue in D minor (BWV 565). The familiar theme from this work has been quoted in all sorts of unlikely venues, from rock music to horror movies to ring tones. (Ironically, some musicologists dispute the authenticity of this work as a Bach composition.)
During his Weimar years, Bach also developed an early version of his Orgelbuchlein or “Little Organ Book” to help teach his son to play. Bach originally intended this piece as a set of 164 chorale preludes accompanying the liturgical year. He only completed 46 chorale preludes, however. The “Little Organ Book” is still popular in organ pedagogy today, and showcases Bach’s commitment to teaching. He did not neglect pedagogy despite all the other demands on his time — as a virtuoso soloist himself, choir director, and composer.
Another notable feature of Bach’s Weimar period is that he began to claim certain aspects of Italian style as his own. Among these stylistic elements were dramatic openings, clarity of bass lines, and dynamic rhythms. Although Bach produced other major works for organ after this period, the sheer volume of his production for organ fell off after the Weimar years.
Later influential organ works included The Art of the Fugue, Bach’s last major work, the 14th Fugue of which was never finished. Despite some controversy over the instrumentation Bach intended for this work, it is generally considered as most likely intended for a keyboard instrument and is regularly performed by organists. And the final work that Bach ever produced was a work for organ, a chorale prelude that he dictated to his son-in-law while on his deathbed. This work is known as Before thy throne I now appear (BWV 668a), and is often played after the unfinished 14th Fugue to conclude performances of The Art of the Fugue.
From beginning to end Bach devoted his life to music, and organ music occupied a central place in that life. As a performer of the organ, consultant regarding the instrument, composer for it, and teacher of younger organists, Johann Sebastian Bach made tremendous contributions to organ repertoire.
