Chorale Prelude

   An organ composition that prepared the congregation to sing a Lutheran chorale by using it as the principal thematic material. Such pieces were commonly improvised from the late 16th century onward, but composers also made and collected formal compositions based on well-known chorales for use throughout the liturgical year, such as the Orgelbü chlein of Johann Sebastian Bach. In modern times, it functions much more often as a prelude to the entire liturgy, and its chorale may or may not be sung within that liturgy, although it usually refers to the liturgical theme or season in some way.

   The most common ways of using the chorale melody are: as a cantus firmus, in durations much longer than the surrounding texture, most often in the soprano voice (e.g., Der Tage, der ist so freudenreich, BWV 605); as an ornamented version that blends the melody into the texture by adopting the same rhythmic motives (e.g., Nun {}komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 599); by using each melodic phrase to construct a fughetta (e.g., Komm, Heiliger Geist, BV 652); as a canon (e.g., Gottes Sohn ist kommen, BWV 600). Many of Bach’s works combine these methods.

   Composers’ interest in chorale preludes declined along with liturgical music generally in the late 18th century. In the 20th century, however, the genre has revived somewhat, and preludes upon hymn tunes of all Christian traditions abound in publishers catalogs. Among the more renowned American composers of hymn preludes are Michael Burkhardt (1957– ), Charles Callahan (1951– ), Wilbur Held (1914– ), and Paul Manz (1919– ).