Gottfried Kirchhoff, Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht

by admin · February 7, 2020

The prelude to “Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht” is the second of the 7 choral preludes by Kirchhoff’s hand I intend to publish. Technically it is not a difficult composition to play. It does however riase some questions aqbout how to perform it. The left hand plays a one part accompaniment to the choral melody, and als starts the piece with a one part introduction. Is this to be played as a single voice? Or does Kirchhoff intend it to be treated as a basso continuon line? He does not indicate any numbers, so it could weel be meaned as a solo line. On the other hand, in the coda part, he does write out a part for the right hand as well, abandoning the idea of a solo bass voice as accompaniment. The choral melody is played with the right hand in a two part texture, which combines with the bass voice cretes a three part texture. Should the right hand part be played on a different manual with a contrasting registration? Or on the same manual as the left hand? It feels a bit strange to have a two voiced ‘solo’. Yet the overlappings in left and right hand part suggest that different manuals are indeed intended. And then there’s the coda, with notes for the right hand as well. If the players choses to play the choral melody on a different manual, on what manual should the code be played?

For my performance I made the following choices: bass voice is treated as a solo voice (no part added for the right hand), choral melody on a different manual and in the coda both hands on the same manual as the bass part. Any other choices are of course equally defendable.

The recording was done with the Hauptwerk software and the demo sampleset, made by Sonus Paradisi, of the Schnittger organ in the St Martinikerk, Groningen

Score
Kirchhoff, Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht