Mit Bach durch die Regio - BACH & BIKES
BACH & BIKES – May 18, 2025
Endingen, Forchheim, Riegel
Station 1 – Endingen: Karin Karle
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Prelude and Fugue in E minor BWV 533
from Trio Sonata No. 4 in E minor BWV 528:
2. Andante
Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger (1839-1901)
from Sonata in E minor op. 132, No. 8:
Scherzo
Passacaglia
Whether J. S. Bach truly wrote his Trio Sonata No. 4 in E minor BWV 528 as teaching material for his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann to convey the principles of three-voice counterpoint is not certain. That Bach used his trio sonatas, where both hands play independent lines on two manuals and the feet in the pedal, as teaching and examination pieces is evidenced by copies made by his pupils. The Andante as the middle movement of the Trio Sonata No. 4 is characterized by intimate beauty and melancholic expressiveness. In the independent and equal movement of the voices, Bach here creates a dense musical dialogue through the interaction of the two treble voices. Not only in the original work but also in today's concert program does the Andante serve as a calm contrast to the lively "little" Prelude and Fugue in E minor BWV 533 and the last two movements of Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger's Sonata in E minor op. 132, No. 8. The Scherzo in A minor is a lively and virtuosic piece, with the prescribed forte to fortissimo giving it a powerful and energetic character. In the concluding Passacaglia, Rheinberger first presents us with an eight-bar theme in the pedal, which steadily repeats and is clearly audible throughout the entire movement and all voices. Around this theme, 24 artfully crafted variations develop, constantly increasing in intensity and complexity, culminating in a quotation of the slow introduction theme of the first movement of this sonata.
As district organist, Karin Karle (*1975) is responsible for the church music C-training. She also directs the concert series "Konzerte St. Trudpert" in St. Trudpert, Münstertal, where she serves as the responsible church musician. In addition to her concert activities as an organist, her choral concerts are equally popular with participants and audiences. Karin Karle studied church music in Freiburg, among others with Prof. Zsigmond Szathmáry (organ) and Hans Michael Beuerle (conducting). Since January, Karin Karle has been temporarily leading the cathedral choir at Freiburg Minster.
Station 2 – Forchheim: Lars Schwarze
Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
from Severn Suite op. 87
1. Introduction (Worcester Castle) - Pomposo
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Fantasy and Fugue in C minor BWV 537
Charles Macpherson (1870-1927)
Andante soavemente e dolce
Lars Schwarze (*1994)
Improvisation: Miss Marple visits Downton Abbey
What could be more fitting than being musically whisked away to Great Britain by Lars Schwarze and Miss Marple on an English organ? They are joined by the Scottish organist Charles Macpherson, who became a chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London at the age of nine and returned there as an organist after studying at the Royal Academy of Music. Edward Elgar, of course, must not be missed, as he discovered cycling for himself in the 1890s and since then regularly undertook extensive tours – even several times a week. "You learn to ride a bike best with a stable strap around your waist, held firmly by your teacher: that's how I learned," he wrote to his friend and publisher August Jäger on March 22, 1903. Often accompanied by his wife Alice, he explored his native Worcestershire, sitting on his bicycle, which he named Mr. Phoebus. One can easily imagine how the rhythms of cycling, the changing landscapes, and the freedom of being on the move might have inspired his music. A piece of home and a tour through Worcester is also his Severn Suite op. 87, originally composed for wind orchestra, named after the river that flows through the city. The titles of the movements, with historical places in the city, were not given by Elgar himself but were added in the later published arrangement for military orchestra. However, the majestic and pompous character of the Introduction fits very well with the grandeur of Worcester Castle, and one can imagine Elgar passing by there on one of his bike rides. One can also vividly picture Miss Marple's visit to Downton Abbey, welcomed by the entire household staff, perhaps at a banquet, guaranteed to include sharp-tongued comments from Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham. What case will Miss Marple have to solve? Is a valuable piece of jewelry missing?
Lars Schwarze (*1994) is the district organist of the Evangelical Church in Freiburg. He studied church music and concert organ in Lübeck and Stuttgart, as well as for a year at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he was awarded the "Margaret and Sydney Lovett Prize" – just one of many awards he has received for his organ playing. In addition to his concert activities, he is also active as a composer with commissions, among others, for the "Nordic Film Days," the UNESCO World Heritage Fagus Factory, and Temple Church London.
Station 3 – Riegel: Johannes Götz
Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
Magnificat Primi Toni BuxWV 203
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
My soul magnifies the Lord BWV 648
Dieterich Buxtehude
from: La Capricciosa BuxWV 250
8 of 32 Partitas
Johann Sebastian Bach
from: Goldberg Variations BWV 988
Variation 30
Prelude and Fugue in G major BWV 541
"Kraut und Rüben haben mich vertrieben." This well-known Thuringian-Saxon folk song has not only been used by Johann Sebastian Bach in his quodlibet, Variation 30 of his Goldberg Variations BWV 988. Dieterich Buxtehude also seems to have known this popular tune – or at least its original, textless version as a Bergamasca by Samuel Scheidt. With La Capricciosa BuxWV 250, he wrote a total of 32 small variations based on an aria, which is grounded in this very theme. That Buxtehude was a great role model for Bach is undisputed. After all, in 1705, he walked from Arnstadt to Lübeck, 400 kilometers away, to hear and learn from Buxtehude. However, whether and to what extent the charmingly lively and virtuosic La Capricciosa was a model for Bach's Goldberg Variations is debated. What is certain is that in his 30th variation, Bach humorously combines the folk song "Kraut und Rüben haben mich vertrieben" with "Ich bin so lang nicht bei dir g’west." This showcases Bach's ability to create surprising and entertaining moments with musical wit in such a complex work. A thematic connection can also be found in the Magnificat Primi Toni BuxWV 203 and the chorale setting My soul magnifies the Lord BWV 648. Both are impressive settings of Mary's song of praise. BuxWV 203 is a freer and more affective work in the style of the North German chorale fantasy, using the Gregorian melody as a starting point for diverse musical development and moods – from jubilant joy to deep humility. In contrast, BWV 648 is marked by its intimate and meditative atmosphere. The chorale melody of the Lutheran Magnificat stands clearly in the foreground and is surrounded by a flowing and harmonically rich texture. In this way, Bach wonderfully succeeds in capturing the spiritual depth of the text in music.
Johannes Götz has been the district organist for the Waldshut deanery since 1992, among other responsibilities for church music education in the region. He studied at the University of Music Freiburg and the Royal Conservatory in Brussels. In addition to his role as organist in the parish of St. Peter/St. Märgen, he leads the concert series "Barockkirche St. Peter" there. Concerts as an organist, chamber musician, and ensemble leader have taken him throughout Europe. As an archbishop's organ inspector, he advises parishes in the deaneries of Endingen-Waldkirch and Neustadt.
Hallo, ich bin Maya.
