Sechs Chorale von verschiedener Art: auf einer Orgel mit 2 Clavieren und Pedal vorzuspielen, commonly known as the Schübler Chorales, BWV 645–650, is a set of chorale preludes composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. Johann Georg Schübler, after whom the collection came to be named, published it in 1747 or before August 1748, in Zella St. Blasii. At least five preludes of the compilation are transcribed from movements in Bach's church cantatas, mostly chorale cantatas he had composed around two decades earlier. These six chorales provide an approachable version of the music of the cantatas through the more marketable medium of keyboard transcriptions. Virtually all Bach's cantatas were unpublished in his lifetime.
Context and content
The hymn tunes of the Lutheran hymns on which the chorale settings included in the Schübler Chorales are based can be identified by their Zahn number. The fourth chorale of the set is however based on a German variant of the Ninth psalm tone. Five of the Schübler Chorales are transcriptions of movements of extant church cantatas by Bach. These cantatas belong to the chorale cantata or second year cycle. Bach began to present the cantatas of this cycle from the first Sunday after Trinity11 June 1724, which was the start of his second year in Leipzig. He continued to present 40 new chorale cantatas until Easter of the next year, 1 April 1725, from which day the chorale cantata cycle and the second year cycle no longer coincide: for the remainder of his second year in Leipzig his newly composed church cantatas were no longer in the chorale cantata format, while on the other hand he added chorale cantatas to the cycle which were composed outside the period of his second year in Leipzig. Listed according to the sequence of the liturgical year:
BWV 6 is a cantata for Easter Monday: it was first presented in Bach's second year in Leipzig, on 2 April 1725, shortly after Bach had discontinued chorale cantatas in that year. Its third movement is the model for BWV 649.
BWV 10 is a cantata for Visitation: this chorale cantata was presented during Bach's second year in Leipzig, on the Feast of the Visitation, 2 July 1724. Its fifth movement is the model for BWV 648.
BWV 93 is a cantata for the fifth Sunday after Trinity: first presented one week after BWV 10, on 9 July 1724, it also belongs to both the chorale cantata cycle and the second year cycle. Its fourth movement is the model for BWV 647.
BWV 137 is a cantata for the twelfth Sunday after Trinity: first performed on 19 August 1725 it is a later addition to the chorale cantata cycle. Its second movement is the model for BWV 650.
BWV 140 is a cantata for the 27th Sunday after Trinity : first performed on 25 November 1731 it is a later addition to the chorale cantata cycle. Its fourth movement is the model for BWV 645.
For BWV 646 there is no extant model from which the chorale prelude may have transcribed. Apart from some original manuscripts of the preceding cantata models there are no extant manuscripts of the Schübler Chorales older than their 1747–1748 printed version: Bach's only extant autograph regarding the organ versions consists of the corrections and improvements he wrote, before August 1748, in his copy of the first edition. All six Schübler Chorales are in the chorale fantasia format: this means that one of the melody lines in the setting is the relatively unadorned chorale tune, which is called cantus firmus. The two central preludes of the set are four-part settings, while the others are three-part settings.
The hymn tune of this chorale prelude is "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme", Zahn No. 8405.
Model
The chorale prelude is a transcription of "Zion hört die Wächter singen", the 4th movement of the cantata Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140, which is a chorale for tenor voice accompanied by unison strings and continuo.
Wo soll ich fliehen hin Auf meinen lieben Gott, BWV 646.
Chorale melody
Hymn tune: "Wo soll ich fliehen hin", or, "Auf meinen lieben Gott", Zahn No. 2164.
Model
Since no model has been found for BWV 646, most scholars assume that the source cantata is one of the 100 or so believed to have been lost. The trio scoring of the movement suggests the original may have been for violin, or possibly violins and violas in unison, and continuo, with the chorale sung by soprano or alto.
Hymn tune: "Ach bleib bei uns, Herr Jesu Christ", Zahn No. 493.
Model
Arranged from Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden, BWV 6, movement 3.
Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter, BWV 650
Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter, BWV 650.
Chorale melody
Hymn tune: "Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter auf Erden", Zahn No. 1912a.
Model
, movement 2.
Publication
Reception
In Bach's Nekrolog the Schübler Chorales were listed as fifth item, after the four Clavier-Übung volumes, among the composer's printed works: "Sechs dreystimmige Vorspiele, vor eben so viel Gesänge, für die Orgel". In 1776 wrote admiringly about the chorales. Early Bach-biographies by Hiller, Gerber and listed the six chorale preludes among Bach's printed works. Forkel added that they were "full of dignity and religious feeling", and mentioned the registration as intended by the composer of the second chorale. At least seven manuscript copies of the preludes, based on the uncorrected or corrected original print, were realised before Breitkopf & Härtel republished them in the early 19th century. In 1748 C. F. Peters published the six Schübler Chorales, edited by Griepenkerl and, as part of larger sets of chorale preludes. Biographers Schauer, Hilgenfeldt and Bitter included the chorales in their overviews of Bach's compositions.
