Masaaki Suzuki, the performer on this album, founded the Bach Collegium Japan in 1990 and is a leading authority on Bach's works.
Performer Biography
Masaaki Suzuki has received several prestigious awards for his work, including the Leipzig Bach Medal in 2012 and the Bach Prize of the Royal Academy (UK) in 2013.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bach's Orgel-Büchlein was explicitly intended for teaching, as indicated by its title which states it provides instruction for budding organists in performing chorales and mastering the pedal.
Composition History
Bach's Orgel-Büchlein (Little Organ Book) was originally intended to set 164 chorales from the Lutheran hymn book, but only 45 were completed.
Composition History
The Orgel-Büchlein project began around 1708 when Bach was appointed organist and chamber musician at the Duke's court in Weimar.
Compositional Technique
The Orgel-Büchlein demonstrates Bach's innovative organ pedal technique, with an obbligato (obligatory) pedal part integrated into the highly condensed structures of the chorale preludes.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Albert Schweitzer, a theologian and musician, famously characterized Bach's Orgel-Büchlein as a 'dictionary of Bach's musical language,' providing a key to understanding his music.
