J.S. Bach: Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ

Featuring

Volker Höh
Johann Sebastian Bach

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Composition History

The Chaconne in D minor, one of Bach's most extraordinary pieces, was composed for solo violin before 1720 and forms the final movement of the Partita in D minor.

Interpretation

Bach himself arranged his own music for different instruments, and this album features arrangements of his works originally for violin, cello, cembalo, orchestra, and cantatas, for the guitar.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Johann Sebastian Bach considered music to be 'ordered by God's Spirit,' often beginning his works with 'J.J.' (Jesus juva, Jesus help!) and ending them with 'S.D.G.' (Soli Deo Gloria, All honour only to God).

Cultural Impact

Since its rediscovery in the mid-19th century, Bach's music has been widely disseminated through countless arrangements across all stylistic boundaries, maintaining its universal appeal.

Instruments

The guitar used by Volker Höh for this recording was made by Antonius Müller in Aarbergen, Germany, in 2009.

Compositional Technique

The Chaconne in D minor is a masterful example of Bach's ability to fill a simple, diatonically falling theme with profound ideas, structured into three main parts with 34 variations over a varied bass figure.

Performer Biography

Volker Höh, the guitarist on this album, is a versatile German musician who performs internationally as a soloist, with orchestras, and in chamber ensembles, often as a cultural ambassador for the Goethe Institute.