Fugues on the Magnificat III. 7.

Description

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706) spent his last years as organist of St Sebaldus in Nuremberg. The Magnificat fugues, a group of more than ninety short organ pieces thought to date from that period, are believed to have been played alongside the Magnificat, the canticle of the Virgin Mary sung at Vespers. They are grouped according to the eight tones of the church modes.

The key is C major and the metre 4/4. A fugue is a contrapuntal form in which a single subject enters in each voice in turn, with counter-melodies weaving around it. It lasts just under two and a half minutes with 468 notes, about three a second on average. The range runs from D2 to G5, just under three and a half octaves, within what can be played on the manuals alone without pedals.

Rated intermediate; in a fugue the key is to hear which voice the subject enters in and when, and to bring it out just slightly above the others. The subject moves between the hands, so follow its handovers with the hand colours and lower the playback speed to trace each voice's line. Repeating the subject entries with A-B looping makes the structure easier to grasp. The range fits a 61-key keyboard, and although written for organ it lies comfortably on the piano.

Contrapuntal works influenced by Bach, where each composer's individuality shines through a strict formal structure.