As with BWV722, BWV729 presents the chorale played in homophony, as though in a liturgical setting, but with interpolations between the lines that sound extemporary. BWV729 has been made famous through its traditionally being played at the end of the service of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College, Cambridge. In the prelude, the interpolations become increasingly more virtuosic, with the note values increasing from quavers to triplet quavers to semiquavers. Despite the florid nature of these insertions, the overall affect of BWV729 is one of gravitas, which is striking given the more dance-like feel that can arise from the compound metre given to the chorale.

from notes by George Parsons © 2017