Hyperion Records

Continuing the complete survey of the organ music of J S Bach, this 'horn of plenty' contains a host of shorter pieces, some of which are incomplete and some whose attribution to Bach is in question. However, questions of authorship have been laid aside for the moment and we ask you simply to enjoy a succession of little gems which provide pleasure for listener and performer alike. When the autographs of so many of Bach's completed organ works have disappeared it is worthy of some comment that, with the exception of the Pedal-Exercitium, BWV598, all of the fragmentary works on this disc have survived in the composer's hand. As they are all of superb quality it is interesting to speculate on what deterred Bach from continuing them. Whereas the Fantasia in C, BWV573, reaches a definite cadence, the Fugue in C minor, BWV562, and the two chorales break off in mid-sentence. Perhaps they were composition exercises for continuation by one of his pupils. Although various Bach stylists have produced completions of the fragments, Christopher Herrick prefers to present them 'torso-like', leaving them dangling tantalisingly in the air.