Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Canon “So gehst du nun, mein Jesu, hin” (BWV Anh. II 72, Emans 198)

by admin · April 24, 2025

Bach’s authorship of this Canon is uncertain. The source of this composition, manuscript Mus Ms P285, owned by the Staatsbibliothek Berlin, does not mention the composer, nor does it specify the choral melody. It just says “Canon”. Other publications of this Canon specify the choral as being “Christus, der uns selig macht”, but I think that ascription is wrong. The melody of “So gehst du nun, mein Jesu, hin” is a far better fit.

The source notates the composition on two staves with no indication for manuals or pedals. It is possible to play it as a manualiter piece, but it is also possible to use the pedals and play the choral melody with a solo registration. To facilitate this, I created three scores: a two staves version, closely mimicking the manuscript source, a version with the bass voice in the pedal staff and a version with the choral melody in the pedal staff.

The recording was done with the Hauptwerk software and the sampleset, made by Sonus Paradisi, of the Bader organ in the Walburgiskerk, Zutphen (https://www.sonusparadisi.cz/en/organs/netherlands/zutphen-virtual-organ-model.html).

Score (two staves)
Bach (?), So gehst du nun (BWV Anh. II 72, Emans 198)