Bach: Fiddle Fugue in D Minor, BWV 539b | Pep Organ

Today's performance is the fugue from Bach's Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 539. It is known as the "fiddle" fugue because it was originally written by Bach for the Violin, as part of the Sonata in G Minor, BWV 1001. Bach evidently saw great potential in this well-crafted work, and decided to rewrite it for the organ, with a short prelude attached. The organ version has additional fugal voices included to flesh out the textures and make the work more organistic.

I learnt the violin version many years ago, and this performance takes inspiration from the way a violinist would play the work – less rhythmically precise (as an organist trained on hymns is used to doing), with more time to place each chord. The violinist, by sheer physics, cannot play large chords together, because they have to physically move the bow across the curved bridge; I take this same principle and play some of those chords in an arpeggiated way. It is not the way that we are used to hearing the organ played, but I hope it is a pleasure to listen to.

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Recorded on the Letourneau organ at St Mary's Cathedral.

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