after more than 300 years, Johann Sebastian Bach’s mysteriously unfinished Orgelbuchlein – Little Organ Book – will have a full UK premiere when the Royal College of Organists (RCO) presents a full performance of the project.
The premiere of Bach And Friends: The Orgelbuchlein Completed will take place in September and will showcase 118 new pieces of music composed to complete the unfinished Orgelbuchlein.
German composer Bach wanted the original manuscript to contain 164 chorales, but ended up leaving it unfinished with only 46 completed chorales and nothing but the titles written for the rest.
The Orgelbuchlein manuscript has always been such a tantalizing mystery, and no one knows exactly why Bach only completed a quarter of his intended 164 chorale preludes.
Over the course of more than a decade, the director and organist of the Orgelbuchlein project, William Whitehead, has commissioned contemporary composers such as John Rutter, Judith Bingham, Sir Stephen HoughSally Beamish, Louis Andriessen, Daniel Kidane, Roxanna Panufnik and Nico Muhly to fill in the missing pieces of the Orgelbuchlein.
The result of the work of Whitehead and the composers is a new and now complete Orgelbuchlein – a collection of 164 short chorale preludes with a cross section of contemporary European styles, with newly edited versions of Bach’s original pieces.
Whitehead said of the project: “The Orgelbuchlein manuscript has always been such a tantalizing mystery, and no one knows exactly why Bach only completed a quarter of his intended 164 chorale preludes.
But by leaving the titles of the missing 118 pieces, he presented us with a unique and intriguing opportunity – what would happen if we commissioned the most interesting composers working today to meet this challenge in ways that reinvent the techniques laid down by Bach in ways that are all their own?
“The result is an astonishingly finished work, an eclectic yet cohesive whole that represents many of today’s schools of composition – minimalism, spirituality, new complexity, modernism, serialism and jazz, along with a range of styles from periods since Bach’s death. ”
In addition to the 118 composers commissioned to work on the project, a number of individual sponsors supported the committees.
Regional Director of the Royal College of Organists and one of the organists performing at the event, Tom Bell, added: “The crowdfunded nature of this project is a truly remarkable feature.
“Through composition competitions and direct sponsorship, the RCO is pleased to have supported the commissioning of seven pieces, and other organizations have made significant contributions, but more than half of those supporting this fantastic work are individuals – people from all walks of life of the population who are as captivated and inspired by this challenge as we are.
“It is an exceptional collective and collaborative artistic effort that everyone involved can be immensely proud of.”
Among the musicians to join the eight organists are the choirs of St James’s Palace Chapel Royal and St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Fred Thomas Trio.
Bach and Friends: The Orgelbuchlein Completed will consist of 10 events, taking place in various locations, including St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Temple Church in the City of London from 23 to 25 Sept.
Each of the concerts is presented by broadcaster Zeb Soanes and features a thematic collection of contemporary pieces plus a selection of original compositions by Bach.
All performances of Bach And Friends: The Orgelbuchlein Completed are free to attend and no advance reservation is necessary.