Chorale Preludes by Old Masters, Vol. 3: Organ, Collections, Book

This collection succeeds because it positions the chorale prelude tradition where it belongs: as a developing art form across multiple hands rather than solely through Bach. Straube's selection spans Scheidemann, Scheidt, Walther, Zachow, and others, revealing how seventeenth-century organists approached the same Lutheran chorales Bach would later transform. For organists seeking to contextualize Bach's preludes or build a deeper understanding of the period, this book offers direct source material that remains musically rewarding to play.

Each prelude unfolds with the intimacy of a conversation between composer and hymn tune. These are meditative works marked by clear counterpoint, harmonic directness, and a sense of reverence rather than virtuosity; they invite the organist into the devotional world of seventeenth-century German Protestantism while remaining entirely playable rather than antiquarian.

Organists working to understand the chorale prelude as a genre with roots deeper than Bach, particularly those preparing for advanced study or performance. This book serves church musicians building liturgical repertoire around Lutheran chorale traditions and serious students seeking historical context for their technical and interpretive development.

• Study the harmonic language of each composer individually before moving through the volume sequentially. The differences in voice-leading style and harmonic thinking between Scheidt, Walther, and Zachow illuminate how the form evolved.
• Attend closely to manual registration possibilities specific to your instrument. Baroque organs vary widely in temperament and tonal color; allowing the organ's character to inform your choice between manuals and stops will enhance the authenticity of each prelude.
• Pace your learning across all thirteen works rather than mastering one or two. The collection's educational value depends on exposure to the full range of approaches represented by these composers.

Use individual selections as voluntary pieces for church services aligned with their associated church year seasons and chorale traditions. The collection also functions as a year-long study resource, with organists exploring one work per week to deepen their command of Baroque keyboard technique and harmonic language. Programming several preludes from this volume alongside Bach's own chorale prelude settings creates a powerful demonstration of how the form evolved.

• Reading figured bass and recognizing harmonic voice-leading conventions of the seventeenth century
• Interpreting Baroque articulation and phrasing from sparse notation
• Manual and pedal independence across varying organ dispositions
• Liturgical application of keyboard music within church calendar contexts
• Comparative analysis of compositional approach across multiple masters working with the same chorale texts