The chorale that is the basis for this chorale prelude is a musical setting of Psalm 103. The chorale melody is longer than the average Lutheran chorale to accommodate a larger-than-average text. The first verse reads as follows: "My soul praises the Lord, all that is in me, belongs to his name. His compassion enlarges, don't forget that, oh my heart. He has forgiven your sins and healed many great weaknesses, redeemed your poor life, and takes you into his lap, covering you with rich comfort, both the young and the old. The Lord rules righteously and protects those who come into his Kingdom."

Four different settings of this chorale by Buxtehude survive. This setting is a bit unusual for Buxtehude. It begins like a chorale ricercar, with the chorale melody appearing in each voice in imitation, but because the chorale tune is so long, Buxtehude truncates the imitation so that most phrases of the chorale appear only in the soprano and bass in imitation.

© Andrus Madsen, Rovi