Although the authorship of this work is in question, one can surmise that if Bach did compose it, he probably did so in the early years of the eighteenth century. For one thing, he wrote another setting of this chorale theme for organ during this time, the BWV 1098, which was discovered in the so-called Neumeister collection in 1985. That work is generally dated to the years 1700-1708. Of course, Bach also did two additional ones for the 1739 Deutsche Orgelmess, but this BWV 740 rendition has less in common with the composer's later style. Like the Neumeister effort, this one begins in a somewhat somber manner, though the mood is light here and dreamy, imparting a contemplative sense. Most of the writing of the main thematic materials is in the upper ranges and conveys a somewhat fragile ethereality. The contrapuntal activity, while well-crafted, is not as subtle as that in many other Bach keyboard works, despite the five-part writing here (two voices in the pedals). Still, this five-minute work is a fine effort whose complexity and other features suggest that Bach could well be the composer.

© Robert Cummings, Rovi