February 19, 2019

Almost a year has passed since my last post here, in April 2018. Needless to say, a lot has happened. I won't try to summarise. Instead we simply pick up the thread today.

Later this year I'll be publishing a collection of six chorale partitas for organ (a few hours of music). This setting of O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß is my most recent work. The melody is by Matthias Greitter, 1525. The text is a retelling of the Passion of Christ in 23 strophes, written by Sebald Heyden in 1530. Only the first and last strophes are used in the modern Gesangbuch, so that very few people know that the other 21 strophes even exist. I've chosen to set all 23 strophes, which presents some interesting challenges. The tune itself is not short. In fact it is so long that it may seem like questionable aesthetic judgment to set the melody 23 times for organ. This is why I am using many techniques to ensure that the material remains engaging throughout. For example, this piece is a setting of not one but four strophes. The texts are set in two canons, each led by the tenor voice. The answering voice of the first canon is hidden in the soprano in inversion at a very short distance (one beat, and even closer in a couple of phrases). The second canon is easier to hear, between the tenor and the pedal, with the melody upside down in both parts, in the minor mode.

Regards,
Aaron