Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier

BWV 730 performed by Erwin Wiersinga
Stiftskirche St. Georg, Goslar-Grauhof

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Simple solemnity

A deep longing proceeds at a brisk pace towards fulfilment

Simplicity can sometimes be deceptive. The melody Bach arranges here accompanies a humble, inward-looking prayer by Tobias Clausnitzer. The hymn consists of just two short phrases, and the second half of each phrase is identical as well. Yet the melody has so many possibilities that Bach made it into several short organ preludes. In his Orgelbüchlein (1708-1717), he wrote down two different arrangements, which could be played by organists according to their level of proficiency. And in fact the same applies to the two separate surviving arrangements, BWV 730 and BWV 731. BWV 730 sticks to simple solemnity, even through there is increasing decoration towards the end. Here Bach refrains from the ‘inventive’ interludes, in which he rather overindulged in his early years – to the annoyance of his patrons. The result is a chorale prelude that does full justice to the words, with a deep longing proceeding at a brisk pace towards fulfilment. Organist Erwin Wiersinga could even imagine that this arrangement was accompanied by singing, and then on quite sustained notes, as happened in the Lutheran church under the influence of pietism. The decorations ensured that the piece remained interesting to the organist as well.

BWV: 730
Title: Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier
Instrument: organ
Genre: organ works
Year: 1708?
City: Weimar?
Special notes: The arrangement is one of the group of a few dozen scattered organ chorales by Bach that cannot be traced back to a creation date or occasion.

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Organist Erwin Wiersinga

“You see in Bach a number of examples of embellishing of chorale settings and this piece is such an example.”

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Credits

Release date

2 June 2017
Recording date

25 August 2015
Location

Stiftskirche St. Georg, Goslar-Grauhof
Organist

Erwin Wiersinga
Organ

Christoph Treutmann, 1731
Director and editor

Onno van Ameijde
Camera

Maarten van Rossem, Onno van Ameijde
Music recording, edit and mix

Holger Schlegel
Interview

Onno van Ameijde
Producer

Jessie Verbrugh

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