Concert Exam 1989 · Melanchthon Church, Düsseldorf
J.S. Bach
Partita "Sei gegrüßet, Jesu gütig"
BWV 768 · Lutz Pfingsten, organ
A masterpiece of the art of variation – recorded during the 1989 concert exam at the Melanchthon Church in Düsseldorf.
About the work
The art of variation in the service of devotion
Johann Sebastian Bach’s choral partita “Sei gegrüßet, Jesu gütig” (BWV 768) is among the most extensive and multi-layered variation works for the organ. Across eleven variations, the full sonic splendor and technical sophistication of Baroque organ art unfold.
The partita begins with the simple chorale, which is masterfully embellished, rhythmically condensed, and permeated with counterpoint in the subsequent variations. From delicate bicinia to majestic, full-voiced movements in the plenum – Bach fully exploits the instrument’s possibilities.
The recording impressively captures not only the musical structure but also the unique acoustics of the Melanchthon Church in Düsseldorf.
Tracklist
| 1 | Chorale |
| 2 | Variation 1 |
| 3 | Variation 2 |
| 4 | Variation 3 |
| 5 | Variation 4 |
| 6 | Variation 5 |
| 7 | Variation 6 |
| 8 | Variation 7 |
| 9 | Variation 8 |
| 10 | Variation 9 |
| 11 | Variation 10 |
| 12 | Chorale (Reprise) |
Recording
Concert Exam 1989 · Melanchthon Church, Düsseldorf
Organ: Lutz Pfingsten · Sound Engineering: Stephan Binder (@etienneberlin)
All recordings of the concert exam – Bach, Alain, and Duruflé – can be found on SoundCloud as well as in my bio link.
