Overview

In the obituary that appeared soon after his death, Johann Sebastian Bach was described as ""the world-famous organist"" and ""the greatest organist...we have ever had."" In Hamburg, Dresden, and other big cities, Bach dazzled audiences with his organ playing, performing passages with his feet that many thought impossible for the hands. One eyewitness declared that he had never seen anything like it. His extant organ works--more than 250 chorale settings and free pieces--are filled with bold, dramatic passages and fully independent pedal parts. They represent the most important body of music in the organ repertoire and the only genre that Bach turned to continuously throughout his life, from his earliest efforts as a teenager in Ohrdruf to his final deathbed revisions as a cantor in Leipzig.In this new survey, leading musicologist George B. Stauffer traces the evolution of Bach's organ works within the broad spectrum of his development as a composer. With detailed discussions of the individual pieces, the book shows how Bach initially drew on contemporary models from Germany and France before evolving a personal idiom based on the concertos of Antonio Vivaldi. In Leipzig, he went still further, synthesizing national and historical styles to produce cosmopolitan masterpieces that exude sophistication and elegance. Serving as a backdrop to this growth was the emergence of the Central German pre-Romantic organ, which inspired Bach to write pieces with unique chamber-music, choral, and orchestral qualities. Stauffer follows these developments step-by-step, showing how Bach's unending quest for novelty, innovation, and refinement resulted in organ works that continue to reward and awe listeners today.

Full Product Details

Author:   George B. Stauffer (Dean of the Mason Gross School of the Arts and Professor of Music History, Dean of the Mason Gross School of the Arts and Professor of Music History, Rutgers University)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint:   Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 16.50cm , Height: 4.80cm , Length: 24.10cm
Weight:   0.980kg
ISBN:  

9780195108026

ISBN 10:   0195108027
Pages:   648
Publication Date:   29 August 2024
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

"Preface Abbreviations and Terms Introduction: The World of Bach's Organ Music Central German Music Culture ~ Grandest Machine of All ~ Transmission of Bach's Organ Works Part I - Learning the Craft: Eisenach, Ohrdruf, Lüneburg, and Weimar (1685-1703) 1 - The Young Bach Eisenach ~ Ohrdruf ~ Lüneburg ~ Weimar 2 - Study and Models Ohrdruf: Johann Christoph Bach and Thuringian Circles ~ Lüneburg: Georg Böhm and North German Circles 3 - Initial Efforts Neumeister Chorales ~ Free Works Part II - The ""First Fruits"": Arnstadt and Mühlhausen (1703-1708) 4 - Bach in Arnstadt and Mühlhausen Organist at the New Church ~ Lübeck Pilgrimage ~ Organist at St. Blasius's Church 5 - Chorale-based Works Chorale Settings ~ Chorale Partitas 6 - Free Works Multi-sectional Praeludia ~ Prelude-Fugue Pairs ~ Independent Fugues ~ Unica Part III - ""The Golden Years"": Weimar (1708-1717) 7 - Bach in Weimar Organist and Chamber Musician at the Weimar Court ~ Chapel Organ and Other Instruments ~ New Connections, New Influences ~ Eclectic Blends and Hybrid Forms 8 - The Orgel-Büchlein Compositional History ~ Function in Weimar ~ Musical Style: Melody Chorales, Canonic Chorales, Florid-Melody Chorales, Unique Settings 9 - Concerto Transcriptions Incomparable Things ~ Challenges of Transcription Process ~ The Music: Vivaldi Transcriptions, Johann Ernst Transcriptions ~ Bach versus Vivaldi 10 - Large Chorale Settings Fore-Imitation Settings ~ Florid-Melody Settings ~ Chorale Trios ~ Cantus Firmus Settings ~ Eclectic Blends ~ Sei gegrüßet, Jesu gütig 11 - Small Chorale Settings Miscellaneous Manual Works ~ Chorale Fughettas ~ Congregational Accompaniment: Figured-Bass and Interlude Settings 12 - Free Works: Prelude-Fugue Pairs Prelude and Fugue Ideal ~ Modification of North German and French Idioms ~ Adoption of Italian Concerto Principles 13 - Free Works: Independent Fugues and Singular Pieces Independent Fugues ~ Experimental Forms ~ The Great Passacaglia Part IV - The Organist as Capellmeister: Cöthen (1717-1723) 14 - Bach in Cöthen Capellmeister at the Cöthen Court ~ Repertory ~ New Stylistic Developments ~ Organ Inspections and Performances 15 - Organ Teacher, Consultant, and Recitalist Didactic Works ~ Organ Pedagogue ~ Organ Examiner and Consultant ~ Organ Recitalist 16 - Bach's Art of Registration The German Tradition ~ Full Organ ~ All the Remaining Diverse Variations ~ Hymn Accompaniment ~ Particular Stops and Combinations Part V - The Grand Synthesis: Leipzig (1723-1750) 17 - Bach in Leipzig St. Thomas Cantor and Director of Music ~ Fusion of Styles ~ New Role of Revision and Recycling ~ Central German Organ 18 - Cantata and Passion Movements with Obbligato Organ and Miscellaneous Trios Obbligato Organ Repertory ~ Performance Considerations ~ Musical Style ~ Trio Transcriptions and Compositions ~ Function of the Pieces ~ Stylistic Aspects 19 - Six Sonatas The Genesis of the Collection ~ Pedagogical Use ~ Musical Style ~ Performance Issues ~ Postscript 20 - Free Works: Prelude and Fugues An Unorthodox Transcription ~ Four Monumental Works 21 - Free Works: Singular Pieces Singular Pieces ~ Prelude and Fugues: Final Directions 22 - Clavier-Übung III The Clavier-Übung Series ~ Genesis of the Original Print ~ The Music ~ Structure of the Collection ~ Duets ~ Reception of the Music 23 - Canonic Variations on ""Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her"" The Canonic Variations Project ~ The Music ~ Organizational Schemes 24 - The Schübler Chorales The Problematic Original Print ~ Hand-Corrected Copies ~ The Music ~ Structure of the Collection ~ Significance of the Settings 25 - Nineteen Large Chorales of Various Kinds The Leipzig Chorale Portfolio ~ Why These Settings? ~ The Revisions ~ Unanswered Questions ~ Search for Perfection Appendix: Three Central German Organs, specifications"

Reviews

"George Stauffer takes us on a compelling journey through Bach's life and the organs he played, providing a rich and fascinating context for his organ music. The author discusses each work, incorporating information from recent discoveries that broaden our understanding of how the iconic compositions were disseminated and performed. Stauffer's study is a must-read for anyone interested in Bach's music for the organ! * Kimberly Marshall, Goldman Endowed Professor of Organ, Arizona State University * Stauffer's fascinating introduction to Bach's Organ Works combines decades of familiarity with Bach's organ music as a practicing organist with the deep erudition of a music historian. The book sheds new light on the musical and social contexts of Bach's organ music and provides a unique perspective of the place of the organ works in Bach's own artistic development. The book will be indispensable for performers, listeners, and music historians."" -=-Markus Rathey, Yale University George Stauffer has been at the forefront of researching Bach's organ music for about fifty years. His new book on all the composer's organ works not only provides an up-to-date and useful chronological overview but also many new details and insightful observations. * Christoph Wolff, Adams University Professor Emeritus, Harvard University *"

Author Information

George B. Stauffer is Distinguished Professor of Music History and Dean Emeritus of the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. He is well known for his writings on the music and culture of the Baroque Era and the life and works of Johann Sebastian Bach, in particular. He has written or edited eight books, including Bach: The Mass in B Minor and The World of Baroque Music, and he has contributed numerous articles to American, European, and Asian journals. He has also written pieces for The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, and The Weekly Standard. Stauffer has held Guggenheim, Fulbright, ACLS, IREX, and Bogliasco fellowships, and he is a frequent speaker at Bach festivals, concert halls, and universities in the United States and abroad. A past President of the American Bach Society, Stauffer is General Editor of the Leupold Edition of The Complete Organ Works of Johann Sebastian Bach.

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