The Chorale Prelude on ‘Herr Jesu Christ, ich weiss gar wohl’, BuxWV193 is remarkable for the way in which Buxtehude treats the melody: as usual, he gives it to the uppermost voice, but initially he leaves it unembellished. Over the course of the work, however, it becomes increasingly ornamented, and as it does so the lower voices gradually lose their initial liveliness and revert to their customary role of providing restrained support.
from notes by Relf Clark © 2011
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