Secrets of Organ Playing Week 47 - Fugue in BWV 577 – JS Bach

Bach’s Fugue in G is a youthful work and not attached to any prelude as was the custom in his later works. The nickname ‘Jig’ is derived from its compound rhythm which is virtually a moto perpetuo from start to finish. It is this relentless rhythmic drive which puts considerable demands on the performer to keep up the stamina. The pedal compass Bach requires is noteworthy: he requires a top E, a note not often found in the organ works, with the exception of the Toccata in F BWV 540 and the Prelude and Fugue in A BWV 536. Most organs in Bach’s time had a two octave pedal compass of C – C or D, minus bottom C#.

The organ I am playing is a symphonic instrument by MP Möller, 1929. Given the character of this organ which has no registers above 4’, I had to be careful in choosing a suitable registration so as to respect the clear, polyphonic nature of the work. I used the Open Diapason, Stopped Diapason, Octave and super octave coupler on the manuals and coupled this to the pedal Bourdon 16 and Flute 8. The ciphering on the swell prevented me from using the Cornopean on the pedal.