Loved this one, Tim. Extremely helpful. So I'm going to return to it and brush it up. Thanks for the inspiration, the new information and the great presentation. There is much food for thought here all delivered in an almost minimalist format. It is this which works so well. Lovely playing too.
Thank you Tim. I found your knowledge and advice both interesting and helpful. Also timeless. I also very much enjoyed the performance. I knew you'd make it flow beautifully given your deep understanding of the piece, and you did. I play a huge number of Bach's organ works, including most of the big works, but found the Orgelbüchlein quite difficult. I didn't have trouble playing the notes; my trouble was mastering the pieces to the extent of making them captivating to listen to. You succeeded here IMO. It struck me listening to you speak that a great way to learn these pieces is to teach them! 😃
Thank you, John. Curiously, I was speaking yesterday with a professional colleague in Germany who, like you, plays all the big Bach works, but who said that playing the Orgelbüchlein is in some ways more difficult because it's so concentrated. Every note counts. And you're right too about teaching. I love teaching these pieces to students, who constantly come with new insights and new questions to think about!
When I studied at the School of Sacred Music in my city, there was a student who said that she "hated" Bach's chorales........I absolutely don't know the reasons for this statement, but I think that claiming to "hate" Bach's chorales is the most senseless, foolish and insensitive thing one can say. Not studying the great Maestro's chorales means missing out on the brilliance of polyphony and, perhaps, the entire music. Maybe I exaggerate, but I am fully convinced of what I say. Thanks for his performance!
I agree, there's such a lot to love as well as to admire in these works. But sometimes we can come to things when we're not ready for them - or are forced to study them when we don't want to - and we can get these reactions to them. Maybe that's what happened to the other student. Who knows? But like you I find there's enough here to learn and enough to take pleasure from to last us a lifetime.
@@timrishton5871 I perfectly agree with you dear Prof Tim, perhaps the time was not ripe for that student, but this makes me think that she was not deeply in love with the Maestro's notes, unique! We have to accept this too. For me Bach represents the true essence of music, without taking anything away from others. For example, out of 10 pieces that I study, 8 are by Bach................😁. Maybe I'm a little sick.... best regards from Italy Prof Tim👍👍
Nice idea, and that's certainly proposed for Puer Natus in Bethlehem. Nun komm, though, is a hymn we always sing on the first Sunday of Advent and it has such strong associations with that day and season that I can't quite see Bach envisiging the infant Jesus at that stage. The hymn is more prophetic about redemption, perhaps. But that doesn't stop us drawing inspiration from all sorts of ideas.
@@alroberts227 No reason why not - if you are going to introduce the verses separately (which we don't tend to do). The prelude feels quite different with the two registrations, so it would be an interesting idea.
![[Norwegian version] Bachs Orgelbüchlein: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 599](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/c866Y09p7YU/mqdefault.jpg)
For all the Orgelbüchlein episodes in order, see th-cam.com/play/PLABcWksVExXsIRFhMOewhg1hNzPDUxAsR.html
Loved this one, Tim. Extremely helpful. So I'm going to return to it and brush it up. Thanks for the inspiration, the new information and the great presentation. There is much food for thought here all delivered in an almost minimalist format. It is this which works so well. Lovely playing too.
Thank you very much - I'm very glad it's of use!
Thank you Tim. I found your knowledge and advice both interesting and helpful. Also timeless. I also very much enjoyed the performance. I knew you'd make it flow beautifully given your deep understanding of the piece, and you did.
I play a huge number of Bach's organ works, including most of the big works, but found the Orgelbüchlein quite difficult. I didn't have trouble playing the notes; my trouble was mastering the pieces to the extent of making them captivating to listen to. You succeeded here IMO.
It struck me listening to you speak that a great way to learn these pieces is to teach them! 😃
Thank you, John. Curiously, I was speaking yesterday with a professional colleague in Germany who, like you, plays all the big Bach works, but who said that playing the Orgelbüchlein is in some ways more difficult because it's so concentrated. Every note counts. And you're right too about teaching. I love teaching these pieces to students, who constantly come with new insights and new questions to think about!
When I studied at the School of Sacred Music in my city, there was a student who said that she "hated" Bach's chorales........I absolutely don't know the reasons for this statement, but I think that claiming to "hate" Bach's chorales is the most senseless, foolish and insensitive thing one can say. Not studying the great Maestro's chorales means missing out on the brilliance of polyphony and, perhaps, the entire music. Maybe I exaggerate, but I am fully convinced of what I say. Thanks for his performance!
I agree, there's such a lot to love as well as to admire in these works. But sometimes we can come to things when we're not ready for them - or are forced to study them when we don't want to - and we can get these reactions to them. Maybe that's what happened to the other student. Who knows? But like you I find there's enough here to learn and enough to take pleasure from to last us a lifetime.
@@timrishton5871 I perfectly agree with you dear Prof Tim, perhaps the time was not ripe for that student, but this makes me think that she was not deeply in love with the Maestro's notes, unique! We have to accept this too. For me Bach represents the true essence of music, without taking anything away from others. For example, out of 10 pieces that I study, 8 are by Bach................😁. Maybe I'm a little sick.... best regards from Italy Prof Tim👍👍
If it's about a born baby, then the figuration might suggest rocking and the speed should be a rocking/lullaby tempo?
Nice idea, and that's certainly proposed for Puer Natus in Bethlehem. Nun komm, though, is a hymn we always sing on the first Sunday of Advent and it has such strong associations with that day and season that I can't quite see Bach envisiging the infant Jesus at that stage. The hymn is more prophetic about redemption, perhaps. But that doesn't stop us drawing inspiration from all sorts of ideas.
Would it appropriate to introduce verse 1 on flutes, then introduce the last verse with full organ?
@@alroberts227 No reason why not - if you are going to introduce the verses separately (which we don't tend to do). The prelude feels quite different with the two registrations, so it would be an interesting idea.