ORG IV-10 - Two anonymous Praeludia

2023-3-13

Flentrop Orgelbouw (1974) 

Warner Concert Hall, Oberlin Conservatory 

Organum Ser. 4 No. 10 - Two anonymous Praeludia from Lüneburger Tablatures 

Organum is a series compiled and edited by Max Seiffert and published by Kistner & Siegel. The five Organum series are vocal sacred music, vocal secular music, chamber music, organ music (only including free works), and piano music. The 10th volume of the fourth series includes six free works which are anonymous. Of these, Nos. 1-3 are now commonly known to be by Scheidemann, and No. 6 by a certain J.S. Bach, which leaves Nos. 4 and 5 from this volume, which are included here. 

As for the authorship, some attribute Praeludium No. 4 to Matthias Weckmann, including Hans Davidsson, as this piece appears in his edition of complete organ works. As for no. 5, even though we may think of-"dënken dürfen"-Franz Tunder (as written by M. Seiffert), notwithstanding stylistic analysis this attribution is exceedingly unlikely as this piece survives to us in K.N. 209-16, which includes this piece with no attribution and the four praeludia by Franz Tunder. Based on stylistic analysis, some aspects of Praeludium No. 5, such as the beginning with all chords with no diminutions and the rapid transition from the fuga to the ending with diminutions, are similar to the style of Weckmann. On the other hand, the beginning of Praeludium No. 4 does bear some resemblance to the fragmented praeludium by Tunder in the same manuscript, and the repeated chords in Praeludium No. 5 does remind the listener of Benidicam Domino by Dietrich Buxtehude, suggesting a relation to the vocal tradition of Marienkirche, Lübeck. 

Unlike Praeludium No. 4, the second prelude performed here has been entirely neglected, to the best of my knowledge, not being included in any publication besides Organum (which unfortunately does not contain a critical apparatus and includes editorial emendations for practical use). 

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