Johann Gottfried Walther wrote several chorale preludes to “Nun komm der Heiden Heiland”. They are all of high quality. The one labeled (by Walther himself) ‘Vers 2’ has the cantus firmus in the pedal....
Georg Andreas Sorge (1703 – 1778) was a German organist, composer, and, most notably, theorist. Sorge’s first professional appointment was at the age of 19 as court and town organist at Lobenstein, a position...
Another piece Walther left without composer in his manuscripts. Walther writes “Hautbois” where the choral melody enters. Writing music for the combination of organ and oboe seems to be an invention of Kauffmann. Yet...
Johann Adolph Scheibe (1708 – 1776) was a German-Danish composer and critic and theorist of music. As a composer Scheibe is nowadays largely unknown. Though most of his music is now lost, he composed...
Johann Bernhard Bach wrote a nice bicinium on the melody of “Jesus, nichts als Jesus”. In the left hand part Bach comes surprisingly close to the Alberti bass, an accompaniment figure often used in...
One of the two preludes Buxtehude wrote on the melody of “Herr Christ, der einig Gottes Sohn”. It is written in his usual style, with a colourfull solo voice, playing the choral melody with...
Daniel Erich (1649 – 1712) was a German organist and composer. He studied with Buxtehude and became organist at the parish church in Güstrow (also the Marienkirche) in 1679, a position he held until...
Buttstett wrote a fine prelude to “Vom Himmel kam der Engelschar”. It start with a solo line that goes up in rapid notes and then descends in a flowing line to the lower g....
The manuscripts of Johann Gottfried Walther are a valuable source for compositions of his contemporaries. His transcriptions are very precise and on the whole he meticulously writes down the composer of the pieces. But...
Zachow wrote a fugue, based on the first phrase on the chorale melody of “Mit Fried und Freud”. Not an easy subject for a fugue as it moves two quints up in just five...
In the nineteenth century this piece was attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach and included into the catalog “Bachwerkeverzeichnis” as BWV 751. In the Neumeister manuscript it is however ascribed to Johann Michael Bach. Since...
Pachelbel’s prelude to “Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her” has the choral melody in the bass. The hands accompany the melody in a two part texture. The same technique is often used by...
Who is the author of this piece? Bach or Bach? It was considered to be composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, and as such it has a BWV-number. The Neumeister manuscript however ascribes this piece...
Besides Johann Michael Bach and Johann Sebastian Bach, the Neumeister manuscript features some works by Zachow. These were already known from other manuscripts, so they were not as much a suprprise as the works...
Johann Michael Bach wrote two preludes to “Gott hat das Evangelium”. The first prelude is posted here. This second prelude has the chorale melody in the soprano voice. The prelude is constructed with beautiful...
