'Ehre sei dir, Christe, der du leidest Not' (BWV 1097)

The Neumeister Collection is a compilation of 82 chorale preludes found in a manuscript copy produced by Johann Gottfried Neumeister (1757–1840). When the manuscript was rediscovered at Yale University in the 1980s it appeared to contain 31 previously unknown early chorale settings by Johann Sebastian Bach, which were added to the BWV catalogue as Nos. 1090–1120, and published in 1985

"Ehre sei dir, Christe, der du leidest Not" (May You Be Praised, Christ, for You Suffer Pain), is probably an earlier chorale. It exhibits the influence of both Pachelbel and Buxtehude and is somewhat unusual in its consistent use of what German writers call Vorimitation: thematic material is anticipated throughout the work in an imitative, fugue-like manner. For all its seemingly rigid formal qualities, this work presents the chorale theme in a majestic and imaginative way, growing from modest textures at the outset to grander and more colorful ones later on. As the work progresses, its mood takes on a more ecstatic manner, the music a fuller and more complex character. In the end, this approximately two-minute chorale prelude will likely strike Baroque enthusiasts as a compelling even if still youthful work from the pen of the young Bach.

Having listened to a variety of interpretations of this work - from manuals only, through full plenum, I personally like the more gentle take on things: my real-time realization is not as fast as I would like it to be, so I expanded this to three-staves for ease; PDF attached.