Скачать или смотреть Advent Calendar 13: J.S. Bach - Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland BWV 659

No musical Advent calendar would be complete without the peerless music of J. S. Bach and this is one of three arrangements Bach made of the Advent hymn, 'Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland'. 'Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland' (or, 'Now come, Saviour of the heathen') is a Lutheran chorale of 1524 with words written by Martin Luther, based on 'Veni redemptor gentium' by Ambrose of Milan, and a melody, Zahn 1174, based on its plainchant. It was printed in the Erfurt Enchiridion of 1524.

The song was the prominent hymn for the first Sunday of Advent for centuries. It was used widely in organ settings by Protestant Baroque composers, most notably Bach, who also composed two church cantatas beginning with the hymn.

Bach's Leipzig Chorales (BWV 651-668) are a set of chorale preludes for organ he prepared in his final decade from earlier works composed in Weimar when he was court organist. These include two ‘trilogies’: one based on 'Allein Gott in der Höh’ sei Ehr' (BWV 662-664), and another on 'Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland', of which BWV 659 forms the first section. With its walking bass and florid, expressively ornamented melody, it is probably the best known of the three.

Sample set: Friesach from Piotr Grabowski (via Hauptwerk)