In 1525, Martin Luther wrote his Kyrie, adapting an ancient Gregorian chant melody set in the Phrygian mode. It consists of three parts, moving from God the Father, to God the Son, and concluding with the Holy Spirit.
J.S. Bach composed three organ preludes (Clavier-Übung III) based on the sections of Luther’s Kyrie. Beginning in the treble register, each descends, as if to evoke the religious symbolism of Christ’s descent. In the final and most monumental prelude, Gott, heiliger Geist (“Lord God, Holy Spirit”) BWV 671, the original chant melody emerges deep in the organ’s bass pedals. The ominous final bars deliver a shocking chromatic progression.
This performance, recorded by the Netherlands Bach Society, features Leo van Doeselaar playing the 1711 Gottfried Silbermann organ at Germany’s Freiberg Cathedral:
Featured Image: the Gottfried Silbermann organ (1711-1714) at Freiberg Cathedral
