page_title: Orgelbüchlein
section_title: Christmas BWV 603–612
hierarchical_section_title: Orgelbüchlein / Chorale Preludes BWV 599–644 / Christmas BWV 603–612
caption_attribution_description: English: Stained glass from Mariawald Abbey depicting the Nativity
context_page_description: The Orgelbüchlein BWV 599−644 is a set of 45 chorale preludes for organ — one of them is given in two versions — by Johann Sebastian Bach. All but three were written between 1708 and 1717 when Bach served as organist to the ducal court in Weimar; the remainder and a short two-bar fragment came no earlier than 1726, after the composer’s appointment as cantor at the Thomasschule in Leipzig.
  The plan was for a collection of 164 settings of chorale tunes sung during the Church year so that each part of the year was represented. Although this number was not to be, the Orgelbüchlein does span the calendar and more importantly signals a maturity and new breadth in Bach’s compositional style, not only with regard to this instrument.
  Each setting takes an existing Lutheran chorale, adds a motivic accompaniment, and quite freely explores form. Many of the preludes are short and in four parts, requiring only a single keyboard and pedal, with an unadorned cantus firmus. Others involve two keyboards and pedal. These include several canons, four ornamental four-part preludes with elaborately decorated chorale lines, and one prelude in trio sonata form.
context_section_description: BWV 603 Puer natus in Bethlehem [A boy is born in Bethlehem] play MIDI  • play MP3
  Below is the first verse of the traditional Latin carol Puer natus in Bethlehem with the English translation of Hamilton Montgomerie MacGill.
  Puer natus est in Bethlehem,
  unde gaudet Ierusalem!
  Alleluia, alleluia!
  A Child is born in Bethlehem;
  Exult for joy, Jerusalem!
  Allelijah, Allelujah!
  The cantus firmus in the soprano voice of this chorale prelude is a slight variant of the treble part of a four-part
  setting of Puer natus by Lossius. The chorale prelude is in four parts for single manual and pedals. It is unusual in that in most published versions no repeats are marked. However, in the autograph score there are markings by Bach at the end of the score which might indicate that a repeat of the whole prelude was envisaged with first and second time versions for the last bar. Some recent editions have incorporated this suggestion. The two inner voices and pedal follow the usual Orgelbüchlein pattern, providing a harmonious accompaniment, with gently rocking quavers in the inner voices and a repeated motif in the pedal, rising first and then descending in crotchet steps. Various commentators have proposed interpretations of the accompanying motifs: the rocking motif to  suggest the action of swaddling; and the pedal motif as symbolising either the "journey of the Magi" to Bethlehem (Schweitzer (1905)) or Christ's "descent to earth" (Jacques Chailley (1974)). On a purely musical level, a mood of increasing wonder is created as the accompaniment intensifies throughout the chorale with more imitative entries in the inner parts.
   BWV 604 Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ [Praised be you, Jesus Christ] a 2 Clav. et Ped. play MIDI  • play MP3
  Below is the first verse of Martin Luther's version "Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ" (1524) of the traditional Christmas hymn Gratis nunc omnes reddamus, with the English translation of Myles Coverdale.
  Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ,
  dass du Mensch geboren bist
  von einer Jungfrau, das ist wahr;
  des freuet sich der Engel Schar.
  Kyrieleis!
  Now blessed be Thou, Christ Jesu;
  Thou art man borne, this is true:
  The aungels made a mery noyse,
  Yet have we more cause to rejoyse.
  Kirieleyson.
  Bach used the same hymn in other organ compositions as well as in the cantatas BWV 64, 91 and 248, parts I and III (the Christmas Oratorio). The chorale prelude is scored for two manuals and pedal, with the cantus firmus in the soprano voice on the upper manual.  On the lower manual the two inner voices provide the harmonic accompaniment, moving stepwise in alternating semiquavers. The pedal part responds throughout with a constantly varying motif involving octave semiquaver leaps. The chorale prelude is in the mixolydian mode. Combined with the unadorned but singing melody and its gentle accompaniment, this produces a mood of tenderness and rapture.
   BWV 605 Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich [The day is so full of joy] a 2 Clav. et Ped. play MIDI  • play MP3
  Below is the German version of the Christmas hymn Dies est latitiae  with the English translation by Charles Sanford Terry.
  Der Tag, der is so freudenreich
  aller Kreature,
  denn Gottes Sohn vom Himmelreich
  über die Nature
  von einer Jungfrau is geboren,
  Maria, du bist auserkoren
  das du Mutter wärest.
  Was geschah so wunderlich?
  Gottes Sohn vom Himmelreich,
  der is Mensch geboren.
  ∘∘∘
  Ein Kindelein so löbelich
  ist uns geboren heute
  von einer Jungfrau säuberlich
  zu Trost uns armen Leuten.
  Wär uns das Kindein nicht geboren,
  so wären wir allzumal verloren;
  das Heil is unser aller.
  Ei du süsser Jesu Christ,
  dass du Mensch geboren bist,
  behüttet uns vor der Holle!
  O hail this brightest day of days,
  All good Christian people!
  For Christ hath come upon our ways,
  Ring it from the steeple!
  Of maiden pure is He the Son;
  For ever shall thy praise be sung,
  Christ's fair mother Mary!
  Ever was there news so great?
  God's own Son from heaven's high state
  Is born the Son of Mary!
  ∘∘∘
  This day the wondrous Child is born,
  Lent to earth from heaven.
  He comes to cheer a world forlorn,
  Its heavy sin to lea
caption: The Nativity, early 16C stained glass from Mariawald Abbey near Cologne
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