Christ lag in Todesbanden

The choral "Christ lag in Todesbanden" (Christ lay in death's bonds) is another one of the chorals in the Easter periode whose melody has inspired many composers to write some great music.

Unlike what you perhaps think when you read the title the text of the choral goes as much about Jesus rising from the death as about his death. The first verse starts with "Christ lay in death's bonds" yet ends with praise for God and twice the word Alleluia. The choral is about sorrow and about the joy of live.

Composers can chose which of those two aspects of the choral they want to emphsize, the joy or the sorrow. The music written on the basis of this text and the melody of the choral ranges in feel and emotional impact from tears to joy, from introvert to exuberant.

In this prelude Vetter emphasizes more the darker side of the text. It is a plain fugue on the first phrase of the choral melody and shows that Vetter knew his counterpoint. To emphsize the sober mood of the piece I use just one stop for the manuals, the Principal 8' coupled to Subbas 16' for the last entry of the fugue theme in the pedals.

Score: http://partitura.org/index.php/andreas-nicolaus-vetter-christ-lag-in-todesbanden-2/