The Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost brings us closer to the end of October and the festivities it brings. Our momentum grows as we find ourselves firmly rooted in the fall semester of the 2015-16 program year. On Sunday, at our 10:00 A. M. service, you will hear one of the greatest organ works J. S. Bach ever wrote, the

Prelude and Fugue in e minor, respectively as the prelude and postlude. The prelude evokes grandeur on an epic scale. The piece is weighty and unfolds before the listener in an immense framework. In music, we refer to a downward, stepwise movement of two notes (half or whole step) as a "sigh motive." When stepping back and taking a "big picture" look at any piece of music, you can find a germ, an integral idea, from which the piece unfolds. Sometimes, the first idea is not the most dominant, but in the case of Sunday's prelude, it is. Sigh motives (and reverse sighs) are everywhere, but not in a sobbing, tearful way. Here, Bach approaches the sigh motives from a larger interval which serves as a "disconnecting device." So, rather than crying, it gives the effect of climbing stairs to some great vista or edifice. It is important to realize that this is one of Bach's later works, and its sense of form, seriousness, and profundity bear witness to a mature master.

   

The prelude and the fugue were designed to go together. Sometimes the pairing of prelude with fugue in Bach's works was an arranged marriage, if you will. Editors, historians, and students would pair pieces they thought worked well together. However, it is obvious from the manuscript (and the shared themes) that this prelude and fugue was a match made by Bach himself. The fugue is often called

The Wedge because of its unusual subject (main theme). Starting with just one note, the notes gradually spread apart from each other until they reach, theoretically speaking, the largest interval - the octave. Early on, it reminded musicians of how a wedge splits logs. Perhaps a more modern analogy is in order, but the name has stuck! After a lengthy bit of counterpoint at the beginning, a virtuosic middle section is introduced that almost seems like an improvised harpsichord cadenza, but in a stroke of brilliance, Bach eventually weaves earlier themes in with it so that it becomes part of the fabric of the piece. It is obvious that (against certain stereotypes), even before the Classical period, composers were aware of dramatic, shocking dynamic contrasts and contrasts of texture. They simply achieved them by different means. Finally, the first section of our fugue is repeated verbatim and closes with a resounding E Major chord. This piece is a favorite of performers and audiences alike, but on Sunday, we will hear it in the context in which Bach would most highly approve: the worship of God. At the end of his manuscripts, Bach would write, "S. D. G.," meaning "Soli Deo Gloria (for the glory of God alone)." To me, it is in this context that his music shines the brightest. 

 

There are other wonderful pieces scheduled for this Sunday, and our Chapel Eucharists continue. I encourage you to come participate in one of our services and invite friends. There has perhaps never been a more engaging time to be a parishioner here at the Cathedral. See you in church.