Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her

Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her

BWV 700 performed by Elske te Lindert
Bovenkerk, Kampen

Behind the music

Story
Story
Extra videos
Extra videos
Credits
Credits

Pretend fugue

The angel descends to earth in a wonderful grand opening

For this piece, Bach arranged a cheerful Christmas chorale, with words and music written by Luther himself. The first two lines of the chorale paraphrase the words of the angel who brings the glad tidings to the shepherds: “I descend from heaven on high; I bring you wonderful new tidings”. It has been suggested that in Luther’s day this chorale was sung at the traditional Christmas play of the biblical nativity, where sometimes an angel came down on a rope. Bach does something similar at the beginning of this chorale arrangement. In the opening bars, it seems like he will use the chorale in a perfect fugue. The four parts come in one after another, from high to low, with the first line of the chorale melody. This is followed by a few pretend entrances, giving the impression that there are more than four parts, and the pedal eventually joins in after twenty bars. But then, as if the young Bach (it is an early work) had underestimated this ambitious intention, the piece continues with freer imitations and figurations of the chorale melody.

Various German composers from previous generations had already composed organ arrangements of this popular chorale. And Bach himself took every opportunity. A couple of years before his death, almost as if to show that of course he could handle that strict counterpoint, Bach was to write a whole series of ‘canonic variations’ based on Vom Himmel hoch (BWV 769).

Kirnbergerschen Sammlung, BWV 690-713
Bach cherished a great many of his compositions, ensuring that they were collected or recycled, and – if at all possible – published. But there are also pieces that missed the boat, such as the twenty-four early organ compositions now known as the Kirnbergerschen Sammlung. We owe the survival of these works to Bach’s pupil Johann Kirnberger, who collected twenty-four organ compositions, among other pieces, following the death of his master. The most striking thing about this collection is its lack of cohesion. The only similarity between the works is that they probably all date from the period before 1710.

BWV
700
Title
Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her
Instrument
organ
Genre
organ works
Serie
Kirnbergerschen Sammlung (organ)
Year
before 1710
City
Mühlhausen or Weimar

Extra videos

Organist Elske te Lindert

“Elske explains why Bach wrote 'Organo Pleno' in the score. What does it mean?”

Vocal texts

Original

Translation

Credits

  • Release date
    23 December 2016
  • Recording date
    1 October 2015
  • Location
    Bovenkerk, Kampen
  • Organist
    Elske te Lindert
  • Organ
    Albertus Antoni Hinsz, 1742
  • Director
    Jan Van den Bossche, Hanna Schreuders
  • Music recording, edit and mix
    Guido Tichelman
  • Camera
    Maarten van Rossem, Gijs Besseling
  • Film editor and interview
    Gijs Besseling
  • Producer
    Jessie Verbrugh

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