The WTF Bach Podcast

Baroque Keyboardists Weren’t Specialists—They Played Everything


Listen Later

The organ held a central role in the life of a baroque keyboardist. Not only was an accomplished harpsichordist or clavichordist comfortable playing with their feet, but the art suggests that the repertoire often called for ad libitum pedal additions.

In J.S. Bach’s second collection of chorale prelude for organ, he introduces obligato pedal parts. Below is an image from his Bach’s earliest chorale settings for organ, as preserved in the Neumeister Collection:

Whereas we do not see any explicit pedal markings, we imagine the adept player added them when tasteful. A decade or so later, Bach’s chorale settings look more like this:

Note the small staves on the left, indicating that the source still had two staves, but the counterpoint in the pedal is specifically called for. Here is the autograph:

That little “P.” below the bottom staff is the clue. The title page of the Orgelbüchlein contains a flowery description, indicating its intended use:

Here is the text of Saint-Saëns’ charming autobiography.

And here is the episode where I introduce the Neumeister Collection.

And I’m going to starting posting my latest YouTube videos in these posts, as extra Bach analysis can hurt no one. Are you a subscriber?

We Rely On Listener Support! How to Donate to this Podcast:

The best way to support this podcast, is to become a paid subscriber at wtfbach.substack.com

More paid subscribers = monthly merchandise giveaways. Rock WTF Bach Swag.

You can also make a one-time donation here:

https://www.paypal.me/wtfbach

https://venmo.com/wtfbach

https://cash.app/$wtfbach

Thank you for listening! Thank you for your support.

Reach us at Bach (at) WTFBach (dot com)

Concepts covered:

This episode explores the rich tradition of Baroque organ music, focusing on J.S. Bach’s organ works and his chorale preludes. We examine historical performance practice, particularly the use of ad libitum pedal technique and the development of obbligato pedal lines in Bach’s compositions. A deep dive into the Neumeister Collection sheds light on early Baroque keyboard music, revealing how Bach’s pedal technique evolved over time. Finally, we analyze the Orgelbüchlein, its structure, and its lasting impact on organ repertoire.



Get full access to WTF Bach at wtfbach.substack.com/subscribe
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The WTF Bach PodcastBy Evan Shinners

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

51 ratings


More shows like The WTF Bach Podcast

View all
On Being with Krista Tippett by On Being Studios

On Being with Krista Tippett

10,289 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,203 Listeners

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts by Slate Podcasts

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts

3,453 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,585 Listeners

The Nation Podcasts by The Nation Magazine

The Nation Podcasts

395 Listeners

Revisionist History by Pushkin Industries

Revisionist History

59,458 Listeners

Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast by Joshua Weilerstein

Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast

2,072 Listeners

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

6,648 Listeners

The Bulwark Podcast by The Bulwark

The Bulwark Podcast

11,444 Listeners

Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out by Mike Birbiglia

Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out

4,400 Listeners

A Moment of Bach by Alex & Christian Guebert

A Moment of Bach

59 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,208 Listeners

Ones and Tooze by Foreign  Policy

Ones and Tooze

340 Listeners

Trygdekontoret by NRK

Trygdekontoret

3 Listeners

Letters from an American by Heather Cox Richardson

Letters from an American

4,999 Listeners