Chorale prelude "Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten"

Description

A chorale prelude on the hymn Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten (Whoever lets dear God rule), whose words and tune were written by Georg Neumark in the seventeenth century. The hymn was widely sung in the Lutheran church, and Bach returned to it often in cantatas and organ works. This short keyboard setting was entered in the music book for his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann and in the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena.

It is in 4/4, about 37 seconds long with 182 notes. The hymn tune in the top voice is decorated with fine ornaments, while the lower parts support it quietly. A plain hymn melody is turned by ornament into a singing solo line, a common approach in chorale preludes.

It is rated intermediate; despite its brevity, the task is to play the decorated melody smoothly, fitting the fine ornaments naturally within the beat without rushing. The range runs from G-sharp 2 to A5, so it fits on a 61-key keyboard. Slow the playback and try to hear which notes belong to the original hymn tune and which are decoration. Checking one phrase at a time with the A-B loop makes the flow of the ornaments easier to grasp.

Chorale settings by Bach, weaving intricate counterpoint around hymn melodies into solemn, prayerful music.