J.S. Bach - Valet will ich dir geben (BWV 736) - Ben Bloor

Valet will ich dir geben (BWV 736) by Johann Sebastian Bach performed by Ben Bloor on the 49 stop 1904 Norman & Beard/2009 Klais Orgelbau organ of the St Anne's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Leeds in a live recital on Monday 25th March 2024 as part of the Leeds International Concert Season.
'Valet will ich dir geben' or 'Farewell I gladly bid thee' is a 17th century Lutheran hymn by Melchior Teschner. In English-speaking countries, the tune is widely used with the hymn 'All glory, laud and honour', for processions on Palm Sunday. In Bach's setting, he uses the joyful 'suspirans' figure in compound metre to create a spiralling momentum, underpinned by a bold presentation of the chorale melody in long notes in the pedals. This performance finishes with Bach's own harmonisation of the melody.
Many thanks to Darius Battiwalla for the invitation to play at Leeds Cathedral, and to the Leeds International Concert Season team for use of the livestream footage.
Ben Bloor is Organist at the London Oratory Church and School Organist at Westminster School. For more information, please visit www.benbloor.com
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[@yvesbrissette4074]

this organ sounds very good. I am impressed. Thank you Ben.

[@grahamtwist]

A sparkling performance on this magnificent organ, Ben, which captures all the exuberance in Bach's setting: bravo!
I'm sure you will already know that BWV 736 is seen as Bach's tribute to a man who battled his way through plague epidemic (not Covid!). Bach must have been particularly moved by the hymn on which this chorale arrangement is based as 'Valet will ich dir geben' is a ‘Sterbelied’, inspired by heartbreaking events. The lyricist, Valerius Herberger, was a clergyman in his hometown of Fraustadt, where there was an outbreak of the plague in 1613. A large proportion of the population fell victim to the illness and many fled the town. Herberger remained and in the end, he was often the only person, along with the gravedigger, who interred the corpses. His faith must have been an immense support to him and must have propelled him to great heights as his grievous, yet hopeful prayer to God at the height of the misery, is the only one he ever wrote. The hymn was published a year later with a melody written by Melchior Teschner, as you mention. The melody Teschner wrote for the hymn does not really match the emotional charge of the words, as was common in the seventeenth century. So, how differently Bach sets to work, after citing the first two lines of the melody for form’s sake. He wrote an overwhelming composition full of the forceful power of conviction. Here, someone is holding tight to the prospect of a good outcome, not with the courage of desperation, but with all the powers invested in an unshakable faith!

[@mspg2]

delightful. Love chorale on the hymn at the end.