The Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor features a unique transition where the fugue grows directly out of the variations, with its first note already present in the variations' final chord.
Instruments
The organ in the Andreaskirche in Hildesheim, built in 1965 by Rudolf von Beckerath, is one of the largest in North Germany, featuring 63 registers and 4734 pipes.
Compositional Technique
In Bach's Passacaglia, the theme is not confined to the bass line but 'wanders' through the other voices, and is also varied and hidden within chord resolutions.
Compositional Technique
The Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor by J.S. Bach uses an eight-bar ostinato bass theme, which is a four-bar theme by André Raison extended by Bach.
Performer Biography
Bernhard Römer, the organist on this recording, studied church music and harpsichord and has been the cantor and organist of the Andreaskirche in Hildesheim since 1989.
Cultural Impact
Bach's instrumental works, unlike his vocal works, remained continuously present in musical life even during the late 18th century, largely due to his pupils distributing copies.
Composer Biography
J.S. Bach's contemporaries praised him more as a versatile organ and harpsichord virtuoso and learned contrapuntist than as a composer of church and vocal music.
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