BACH ORGAN WORKS

Suggested order of difficulty

Copyright, Nov. 9, 2006

by Delbert Disselhorst

Neumeister chorales (selected)

Chorale fughettas from the Miscellaneous collection

Eight Preludes and Fugues (F,B-flat, d,g,G,a,C,e)

“In dulci jubilo,” BWV 751
“Nun freut euch,” BWV 755
“Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern,” BWV 739

Fugue in D Major, BWV 580

“Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr,” BWV 711

Pedal Exercitium, BWV 598

Pastorale, BWV 590
Alla breve, BWV 589
Canzona, BWV 588

“Herzlich thut mich verlangen,” BWV 727

Orgelbüchlein (See separate listing)

Partita on “O Gott, du frommer Gott” BWV 767

Sonata II, BWV 526 (2nd mvt.)

Sonata V, BWV 529 (2nd mvt.)

II

Fugue in g minor, BWV 578 (“Little”)

Fugue in b minor, BWV 579 (“Corelli”)
Fugue in c minor, BWV 574 (“Legrenzi”)
Prelude and Fugue in c minor, BWV 549
Prelude and fugue in c minor, BWV 546

Fantasy and fugue in c minor, BWV 537

Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 531
Prelude and Fugue in f minor, BWV 534
Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 545

Fantasie in c minor, BWV 562

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Concerto in G Major, BWV 592

Orgelbüchlein ˆ(continued)

“Wo soll ich fliehen hin,” BWV 646 (Schübler chorales)

“Von Gott will ich nicht lassen,” BWV 658 (Leipzig collection)
“Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,” BWV 645 (Schübler chorales))

“Erbarm’dich mein, o Herre Gott,” BWV 721

“Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier,” BWV 730 and 731
“Nun freut euch,” BWV 734 (Miscellaneous)
“Jesus Christus, unser Heiland . . .” BWV 665 and 666 (Leipzig collection)
“Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist,” BWV 667 (Leipzig collection)

Sonata IV, BWV 528 (Mvt.1) (Mvt.3) (Mvt.2)

Sonata I, BWV 525 (Mvt.3) (Mvt.2) (Mvt.1)
Sonata II, BWV 526 (Mvt.1 and 3)

Fugue in G Major, BWV 577 (“Gigue”)

Toccata and Fugue in d minor, BWV 538

III

Prelude and Fugue in a minor, BWV 543

Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 532
Prelude and Fugue in g minor, BWV 535
Prelude and Fugue in A Major, BWV 536
Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 541
Prelude and Fugue in b minor, BWV 544

Concerto in a minor, BWV 593

Pièce d’Orgue, BWV 572

“Ach bleib bei uns . . .” BWV 649 (Schübler chorales)

“O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig, “ BWV 656 (Leipzig collection)
“Nun komm’ der Heiden Heiland,” BWV 660 and 661 (Leipzig collection)
“Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr,” BWV 663 and 664 (Leipzig collection)

Orgelbüchlein

“Nun komm’ der Heiden Heiland,” BWV 659 (Leipzig ornamented)

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“Vor deinen Thron tret’ ich hiermit,” BWV 668 (Leipzig collection)
“Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele”, BWV 654 (Leipzig collection)
“Komm Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, BWV 651 (Leipzig collection)

Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 547

“Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter,” BWV 650 (Schübler chorales)
“Meine Seele erhebet dem Herrn,” BWV 648 (Schübler chorales)
Fugue sopra il Magnificat, BWV 733
“Valet will ich dir geben,” BWV 735 and 736

“Wer nur den lieben gott lässt walten,” BWV 647 (Schübler chorales)

Toccata in d minor, BWV 545

Sonata II, BWV 526 (Mvts. 1 and 3)

Sonata III. BWV 527 (Mvts. 1) (Mvt.2) (Mvt.3)
Sonata V, BWV 529 (Mvt.1) (Mvt.3)

IV

Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 550

Partita on “Sei gegrüsset, Jesu gütig,” BWV 768
Fantasy and Fugue in g minor, BWV 542

Concerto in C Major, BWV 594

Concerto in d minor, BWV 596

Passacaglia, BWV 582

Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue, BWV 564
Toccata in F Major, BWV 540
Toccata in E Major, BWV 566

Sonata VI, BWV 530

“Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr,” BWV 662

Prelude and Fugue in e minor, BWV 548 (“Wedge”)

Canonic Variations, BWV 769

Remainder of Orgelbüchlein, Leipzig collection

Clavierübung III (Many of the manualiter settings may be studied earlier and certainly
some of the larger settings as well, e.g., “Wir glauben all’ an einem
Gott,” but the “Vater unser im Himmelreich” is undoubtedly one of
the most complex chorale settings in every sense.)

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 ORGELBUECHLEIN

A general guide to levels of difficulty within each major section

ADVENT/CHRISTMAS

“Herr Christ, der ein’ge Gottes Sohn”

“Lob sei dem almachtigen Gott”
“Puer natus in Bethlehem”
“Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland”
“Jesu, meine Freude”
“Lobt Gott, ihr christen allzugleich”
“Gottes Sohn ist kommen”
“Vom Himmel hoch, da komm’ ich her”
“Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ”
“Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich”
“Wir Christenleut’”
“Christum wir sollen loben schon”
“In dulci jubilo”
“Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schar”

NEW YEAR
“Helft mir Gottes Güte preisen”
“Das alte Jahr vergangen ist”
“In dir ist Freude”

SONG OF SIMEON
“Mit Fried und Freud’ ich fahr’ dahin”
“Herr Gott, nun schleuss den Himmel auf”

PASSION
“O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig”
“Christe, du Lamm Gottes”
“Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund’”
“Wir danken dir, Herr Jesuy Christ”
“Christus, de runs selig macht”
“O Mensch, bewein’ dein Sünde gross”
“Hilf Gott, dass mir’s gelinge”

EASTER/ASCENSION
“Erschienen ist der herrliche Tag”
“Jesus Christus, unser Heiland”
“Christ lag in Todesbanden”
“Erstanden ist der heil’ge Christ”

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 “Heut triumphiret gottes sohn”
“Christ ist erstanden”
“Komm, Gott Schöpfer”

GENERAL
“Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier”
“Vater unser im Himmelreich”
“Alle Menschen müssen sterben”
“Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten”
“Es ist das Heil uns kommen her”
“Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend’”
“Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt”
“In dich hab’ ich gehoffet, Herr”
“Dies sind die heil’gen zehn Gebot”

The above list was originally prepared for an Organ Pedagogy class at the University of
Iowa.

Delbert Disselhorst
University of Iowa