This book, first published in 1984, is the third volume of Peter Williams' important reference work, The Organ Music of J. S. Bach. In this volume, Peter Williams lays before the reader the salient points that serve as an appropriate bckground to the pieces: notes on the church services of the area in question (Thuringia - Saxony), the fitful tradition of recitals, the duties of organists, the composer's indebtedness to former and contemporary styles in music, his knowledge of organs, the relevance (often over-valued today) of theorists, details of the instruments he was acquainted with and what can be assumed about the way they were registered and played. Throughout, the author has aimed to present a background to this music and its playing and has avoided stepping into areas of high conjecture, such as chronology or how specific pieces are to be played.

Preface
Maps
Part I. The Music in Service and Recital: 1. The order of services
2. Hymns, hymnbooks and singing
3. Organ chorales as preludes
4. Organ chorales as and with interludes
5. The duties of organists
6. Organist-trials
7. Recitals
Part II. The Music and its Composition: 8. The arts of composing or improvising organ chorales
9. Affektenlehre, rhetoric and 'symbolism'
10. Figurenlehre as a background to composition
11. Italian influences
12. French influences
13. Niedt's and Mattheson's praeludia
14. Influences on the preludes and fugues: further remarks
15. Bicinia
Part III. The Music and its Organ: 16. The 'Bach organ'
17. J. S. Bach's organ reports
18. Registration
19. Organo pleno
20. Two manuals
21. Temperament questions
22. Harpsichord questions
23. The Music and its Performance: 23. Certain details of performance: articulation and legato
24. Fingering
25. Ornaments
26. Certain details of performance: finals, fermatas and repeats
27. Pedals and pedalling
28. Three-stave notation
Additions and corrections: Volume i
Volume II
Notes on MSS cited
List of references
Index of names
Index of BWV works cited
Title index of BWV numbers in volumes I-III.

Subject Areas: Music [AV]