Dem Höchsten Gott allein’ zu Ehren,
Dem Nechsten, draus sich zu belehren.
With this little couplet, Johann Sebastian Bach, the great Lutheran Kantor, began his collection of short hymn-based pieces titled Orgelbüchlein. This “little organ book” was quite literally a little book, for which the Kantor had lofty intentions: its pages were marked for 164 hymn-based pieces! He only got around to composing 45 of them, leaving those other pages blank, and leaving us in wonder of how he might have treated those chorales.
The purpose of my writing today is to analyze the inscription on the title page of the collection, which reads (in English) as follows:
“Little Organ Book: In which a beginning organist receives given instruction as to performing a chorale in a multitude of ways while achieving mastery in the study of the pedal, since in the chorales contained herein the pedal is treated entirely obbligato.
In honour of our Lord alone / That fellow man his skill may hone.
Composed by J. S. Bach, Cappellmeister to his Serene Highness the Prince of Anhalt-Cöthen.”
Tr. Geck, Martin (2005), Bach, London: Haus Publishing
You can see there the couplet which prefaces this post (and is, obviously, the source of the title).
This opening page of the Orgelbüchlein makes its purpose quite clear; although, many modern organ students have found frustration in the words: “a beginning organist receives given instruction…” By no means are these easy pieces of music to prepare! And the fact that Bach sees them as fit for “beginning organists” reveals much about the context of music-making in Bach’s time.
In my previous post, we heard a baroque organ-builder criticize the organist that reads music from a piece of notation. Why is that? It is clear that in those times, improvisational skills were highly valued; not only by organists, but other instrumental musicians, too. Writing down music wasn’t as much for historical preservation as it was for the purpose of educating others, namely, helping them develop technical skills (in the case of the Orgelbüchlein, pedal technique) and improvisational skills. Here we clearly see Bach’s exemplary attitude toward vocation. His massive output of written works (more specifically, keyboard works) were written not so that they could be celebrated 300 years later by Bach Institutes, Collegia, and Societies, but rather for the purpose that his fellow musicians might be able to improve their craft. At the core of his work was serving his neighbor and serving God.
I should make the disclaimer that not all of Bach’s works are explicitly educational. Some were quite explicitly written for performance in a church or court, of course (another disclaimer: the latter probably weren’t meant to be performed more than a handful of times). Regardless of that, my advice to musicians is to take these works of Bach (such as the Orgelbüchlein) and consider the true context and intent of the composer: not merely as a showpiece to demonstrate technical skill, but as a tool to develop your technical and musical abilities.
Joel Stoppenhagen 
Hello Joel! I came across your blog recently and was quite intrigued. I need to say first of all just how pleased I was to come across a young organist who is so passionate embarking on their own musical career. As an organist for the last 25 years at St. Lukes Presbyterian Church in Centerville I have to say that I often forget to bring this same level of enthusiasm to my work each Sunday (and throughout the week) and I can only wish you the best in your career-If you play at all like you write about the organ, I am sure that you will go very far! This being said, I must say that I have some questions for you because I disagree with some of the statements which I perceive coming through your writing in this article. Do you believe that some of Bach’s works were purely instructional? Furthermore, most importantly, are you insinuating that one should use just these primary works to hone their skills? If so, I must express my sincere disagreement in the hopes of guiding you along your path in this difficult, but fulfilling, field. While I know you are incredibly passionate, having had far more experience than you I must say that, in practice, I think you will find that these primary musical works cannot be the foundation of one’s technique. When seeking to achieve the musical idea of these pieces, taking for example Bach’s works, and seeking to accomplish the musical excellence which they require one must bring with them a certain level of pre-honed technique. In my experience, one cannot succeed otherwise and often, when organists think they can, they are fooling themselves. My apologies if this came off strong-I really am so pleased to have found your writings and am very impressed by you. Additionally, please ignore this if I am presuming incorrectly-keep up your work, from one organist to another! Sincerely, Judith.
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Hi Judith, it’s a pleasure to hear that you’ve enjoyed my blog! I’m certainly extremely passionate about church music and its rich history and meaning. I’m very grateful that you have found some meaning and inspiration in what I’ve written about thus far.
I anticipated receiving a response like this, and I’m glad it was so well-articulated by you, so that I can properly clarify what I’m trying to say. Let me begin by answering your questions: yes, I believe that some (not all, of course) of these keyboard works were written for the development of technique. I’m think specifically of the Orgelbuchlein, the Inventions and Sinfonias, the various volumes of Clavier-Ubung, and the Clavier-Buchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann (among other works). We know for a fact that these were educational works. The intentions of his other freely-composed works could and should be debated, though.
Here’s where I must make my clarification: times have changed. Gone are the days when musician fathers would raise their children to be musicians, who would then raise their children to be musicians, etc. At that time, the line dividing art and craft was thin, almost non-existent. Music-making was both vocation and occupation. Now, things are different. We start learning instruments and music much later, and at a much more graduated pace. To prepare pieces of music of this magnitude requires years of study and some pre-developed technique. Like you said, it would be foolish to attempt something such as a trio from Clavier-Ubung III without any prior technical facility.
Let me make my point clear. I think it is totally fine to use pieces from the Orgelbuchlein for performance in concerts and church services. I do it all the time, and would even encourage it–why deprive your congregation members of such masterworks? What I ask of modern organists is that they consider the historical context of these works as educational tools and how they might use these pieces (especially the smaller-scale ones) in their regular practice to hone their skill as keyboardists. What might this look like? I’m thinking of spending two or three practice sessions nailing down a Two-part Invention, or learning an entire Orgelbuchlein prelude within a week, getting to know it inside-out and upside-down. These are just a few ideas.
Thank you for seeking clarification on this post. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have other questions.
Blessings on your Lenten preparations! Stay in touch.
Joel Stoppenhagen
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