page_title: Orgelbüchlein
section_title: Easter BWV 625–630
hierarchical_section_title: Orgelbüchlein / Chorale Preludes BWV 599–644 / Easter BWV 625–630
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 625 Christ lag in Todesbanden [Christ lay in the bonds of death] play MIDI  • play MP3
  Below are the first and fourth verses of Martin Luther's Easter hymn Christ lag in Todesbanden with the English translation of Paul England.
  Christ lag in Todesbanden,
  für unsre Sünd' gegeben,
  der ist wieder erstanden
  und hat uns bracht das Leben.
  des wir sollen fröhlich sein,
  Gott loben und dankbar sein
  und singen: Halleluja!
  Halleluja!
  ∘∘∘
  Es war ein wunderlicher Krieg,
  da Tod und Leben rungen;
  das Leben, das behielt den Sieg,
  es hat den Tod verschlungen.
  Die Schrift hat verkündet das,
  wie ein Tod den andern fraß,
  ein Spott der Tod ist worden.
  Halleluja!
  Christ lay in Death's dark prison,
  It was our sin that bound Him;
  This day hath He arisen,
  And sheds new life around Him.
  Therefore let us joyful be 
  And praise our God right heartily.
  So sing we Hallelujah!
  Hallelujah!
  ∘∘∘
  How fierce and dreadful was the strife
  When Life with Death contended;
  For Death was swallowed up by Life
  And all his power was ended.
  God of old, the Scriptures show,
  Did promise that it should be so.
  O Death, where's now thy victory?
  Hallelujah!
  BWV 625 is based on the hymn tune of Luther's "Christ lag in Todesbanden". The sharp on the second note was a more modern departure, already adopted by the composer-organists Bruhns, Böhm and Scheidt and by Bach himself in his early cantata Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4. The chorale prelude is in four parts for single manual and pedals, with the cantus firmus in the soprano voice. It closely follows the four voices of Bach's earlier harmonisation in the four-part chorale BWV 278, with virtually no changes in the cantus firmus. The two accompanying inner parts and pedal are elaborated by a single motif of four or eight semiquavers descending in steps. It is derived from the final descending notes of the melody: 
  The semiquaver motif runs continuously throughout the piece, passing from one lower voice to another. Commentators have given different interpretations of what the motif might symbolise: for Schweitzer (1905) it was "the bonds of death" (Todesbanden) and for Hermann Keller "the rolling away of the stone". Some have also seen the suspensions between bars as representing "the bonds of death". These interpretations can depend on the presumed tempo of the chorale prelude. A very slow tempo was adopted by the school of late nineteenth and early twentieth century French organists, such as Guilmant and Dupré: for them the mood of the chorale prelude was quiet, inward-looking and mournful; Dupré even saw in the descending semiquavers "the descent by the holy women, step by step, to the tomb". At a faster tempo, as has become more common, the mood becomes more exultant and vigorous, with a climax at the words Gott loben und dankbar sein ("praise our God right heartily"), where the music becomes increasingly chromatic. Williams (2003) suggests that the motif might then resemble the Gewalt ("power") motif in the cello part of BWV 4, verse 3; and that the turmoil created by the rapidly changing harmonies in some bars might echo the word Krieg ("war") in verse 4.
   BWV 626 Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, der den Tod überwand [Jesus Christ, our Saviour, who conquered death] play MIDI  • play MP3
  Below is the first verse of Martin Luther's Easter hymn Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, der den Tod überwand with the English translation by George MacDonald.
  Jesus Christus unser Heiland,
  der den Tod überwand,
  ist auferstanden,
  die Sünd' hat er gefangen.
  Kyrie eleison!
  Jesus Christ, our Saviour true,
  He who Death overthrew, 
  Is up arisen, 
  And sin hath put in prison.
  Kyrieleison.
   BWV 627 Christ ist erstanden [Christ is risen] play MIDI  • play MP3
  Below is the text of the three verses of the Easter hymn Christ ist erstanden with the English translation of Myles Coverdale.
  Christ ist erstanden
  Von der Marter alle,
  Des solln wir alle froh sein,
  Christ will unser Trost sein.
  Kyrieleis.
  ∘∘∘
  Wär er nicht erstanden,
  So wär die Welt vergangen;
  Seit daß er erstanden ist,
  So lobn wir den Vater Jesu Christ.
  Kyrieleis.
  ∘∘∘
  Halleluja,
  Hallel
caption: Resurrection, Albrecht Altdorfer
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