Yet another Prelude from the Orgelbuchlein. This is one of the shortest in the entire set. While working on it, I listened to Tan Koopman's recording which clocks in at a staggering 42 seconds! In his blog The Daily Bach: Blogging the Orgelbuchlein, Raymond Nagem argues that the brevity of a prelude like this one was meant more as a practical joke rather than a functional piece within the Lutheran Service. Bach could look at a congregant or officiator who complained about his playing with the response "What was the problem? I played the entire tune." Considering the austere paintings we often see of the composer, it is a composition like this that points to Bach having an amazing sense of humor. Some time in the future, maybe I will get it up to Koopman's speed. I would like to point out that, even though I went with slower tempo , I was still able to finish it in under a minute.
This particular organ has a wonderful with a plenum registration on the manuals (Great and Choir). However, there is this amazing 16' Flugelhorn on the swell which I coupled with the pedals to get this particular rumbling in the pedal part.