Six compositions... 111

Six compositions

for organ, based on german chorales.

by G.Fr. Handel

Contents:
Jesu, priceless treasure
Jesu, priceless treasure
Not in anger, mighty God
Abide o dearest Jesu
Adorn thyself, dear soul
Out of the deep I cry to Thee

Preface
The following chorale arrangements - with the exception of No 51 - are from Händel's notes about the theory of composition (composition studies)2'3 which were handed down in several autographs4. All of them are edited in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabes. These autographs include sketches, textural studies, examples of how to realise a figured bass as well as studies in counterpoint and fugal technique. The instrumental definition for the organ was done by the intention of the editor in order to make these chorale-studies available for orgau practice. Any additions of the editor are marked in brackets.
No 1 Jesu, meine Freude (HWV 480)6 , autograph 1 7 3 6/1 7 4 0. This composition, originally in g minor and in short score [chorale in (contra-) alto], is transcribed here into a more practical version with the cantus firmus in the tenor.
In the autograph, Händel followed this example with two measures and the instruction to place the cantus finnus in the soprano. Chorale arrangement No 2 Jesu, meine Freude exemplifies this.
No 3 is an example by Händel, transposed down a fourth by the editor; the title Straf mich nicht in deinem Zorn is named under the autograph.
No 4 is an example by Händel transposed down a fourth lower by the editor; it has no (chorale-) title.
No 5: Transcription from HWV 48, for details please see footnote 1.
The realization of a fugal study in E-major was published by A.Mann in the Händel year-book 1 9 6 4 /6 5. This theme, although in E-major, is based on the cantus firmus Aus tiefer Not. In the following score the editor was prompted to rewrite this fugal study in a form that can be präctised today. No 6 of these chorale arrangements Aus tiefer Not is an attempt to return to the earlier phrygian mode based on the original cltorale.

Everswinkel, October 2 0 0 2
Wolfgang Lindner


1 No 5 Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele - Transkription aus der Passion nach Brockes (HWV 48), vom Herausgeber als Ergänzung der hier veröffentlichten Choralbearbeitungen eingefügt.
z Alfred Mann : German Organ Tabulature in Händel's Autographs, in: Essays in Memory of Russe] Saunders, ed. by Kerala J. Snyder, Styvesant, N.Y., 1994
3 Alfred Mann: Eine Kompositionslehre von Händel, in: Händel-Jahrbuch, 10./11.Jg., Leipzig 1965
4 J.A.Fuller-Maitland und A.H.Mann: Catalogue of Music in the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge, London 1893 5 Hallische Händel-Ausgabe (HHA) hg., von der Georg-Friedrich-Händel-Gesellschaft, Kassel-Basel-LondonNew York: Supplemente Bd.I (Aufzeichnungen zur Kompositionslehre)
6 Verzeichnis der Werke Georg Friedrich Händels (HWV) zusammengestellt v. B.Baselt, Leipzig 1986