O Mensch, Bewein' Dein Sünde Gross (arr Grainger)

Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach (setting. Percy Aldridge Grainger; ed. Brion and Brand)

The title translates from the German roughly as "Oh, man, now weep for thy great sin."

General Info

Year: 1724? / 1937-1942 / 1987
Duration: c. 5:55
Difficulty: III-1/2 (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Organ
Publisher: G&M Brand International Music
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $85.00   |   Score Only (print) - $20.00

Instrumentation

Elastic scoring:

Grainger's concept of elastic scoring allowed him to adapt the music to all of the maddenly possible (or impossible) instrumental combinations one encounters in educational situations. In his early music settings, each musical voice is assigned a "tone strand:" Strand A for the soprano line, Strand B for the alto line, etc. through the bass line. These parts may then be played by a variety of instrumental combinations.

- Note from score

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

The chorale-prelude O Mensch... is taken from Bach's Orgelbüchlein collection. Grainger created the setting between 1937 and 1942. While not unusual today, his beautiful realization of the ornamentation was revolutionary in the 1940s.

- Program Note from score

O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß (O man, bewail thy sins so great) is a Lutheran Passion hymn with a text written by Sebald Heyden in 1530. The author reflects the Passion, based on the Four Evangelists, originally in 23 stanzas. The lyrics were written for an older melody, Es sind doch selig alle, die im rechten Glauben wandeln (Zahn No. 8303). The first and last stanzas have appeared in 11 hymnals. Catherine Winkworth translated it as "O man, thy grievous sin bemoan".

Johann Sebastian Bach composed a chorale prelude from Orgelbüchlein, BWV 622. In the second version of his St John Passion, he began the work with a chorale fantasia on the first stanza of the hymn, which he later modified to conclude Part I of his St Matthew Passion as movement 29.

- Program Note from Wikipedia

Commercial Discography

• Audio CD: Royal Norwegian Navy Band (Bjarte Engeset, conductor) - 2018

Media

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

• Florida: IV
• Louisiana: IV
• Massachusetts: IV
• Texas: IV. Complete
• Virginia: IV

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Illinois State University (Normal) Symphonic Winds (Anthony Marinello, III, conductor) – 5 October 2018
• Virginia Tech (Blacksburg) Wind Ensemble (Kevin Geraldi, conductor) – 29 April 2018
• Banda cittadina di Brescia (Italy) (Sergio Negretti, conductor) - 2016

Works for Winds by this Composer

• Air for Woodwind Choir (arr. Joel Blahnik)
• Arioso (arr. de Haan)
• Arioso (arr. Alfred Reed)
• Art of Fugue, The (tr. Kenneth Amis) (c. 1745)
• Bach: Air (arr. McGinty) (c. 1730/)
• Bach Fugue (arr. John Kinyon)
• Bach's Fugue à la Gigue (orch. Gustav Holst) (arr. Mitchell) (1921/2005)
• Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 (arr. Marlatt) (1721/2011)
• Canzona, BWV 584
• Chaconne and Festive Aria (arr. Daehn)
• Chaconne in D Minor (arr. Daehn)
• Chorale and Fugue in F Major (arr. Daehn) (1988)
• Chorale Prelude on "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" (trans. Damrosch; adapt. O'Toole)
• Chorale in C Minor (arr. Topolewski) (2012)
• Come, Sweet Death (arr. Alfred Reed)
• Contrapunctus III (arr. King) (c. 1745/1955)
• Contrapunctus V (arr. Daehn) (c. 1745)
• Deck Thyself, My Soul, With Gladness (arr. Alfred Reed) (1990)
• Fantasia and Fugue in C Minor (arr. Elgar; tr. Topolewski) (1727?)
• Fantasia and Fugue in C Minor (arr. Elgar; arr. Nowlin) (1727?/2016)
• Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 537 (arr. Hunsberger) (1727?/1997)
• Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542 "The Great" (arr. Boyd)
• Fantasia in C (arr. Sterk) (1706/2017)
• Fantasia in G, BWV 572 (arr. John Boyd) (1703-7/1957/1985)
• Fantasia in G, BWV 572 (arr. Edwin Franko Goldman) (1703-7/1957/2012)
• Fervent is My Longing; Organ Fugue in G Minor (tr. Cailliet) (c. 1710/1935)
• Forget Me Not, O Lord (arr. Alfred Reed)
• Fugue à la Gigue (orch. Gustav Holst) (arr. Brand) (1921/2008)
• Fugue in B-flat Major (arr. Daehn) (1722/1988)
• Fugue in G Minor (arr. Kimura)
• Fugue in G Minor (arr. Rechtman)
• God Still Lives (arr. Alfred Reed)
• Hertzlich tut mich verlangen. See: Fervent is My Longing; Organ Fugue in G Minor)
• If Thou Be Near (arr. Alfred Reed) (1725/1984)
• If Thou Be Near (arr. Moehlmann) (1725/1940)
• In Dulci Jubilo (arr. Reed) (1970)
• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (tr. Cailliet) (1723/1962)
• Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring (tr. Leidzen) (1723/1936)
• Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring (arr. Alfred Reed) (1723)
• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (arr. Sapieyevski) (1723)
• Komm, Susser Tod (arr. Leidzen) (1736/1936)
• Little Fugue (arr. Romm; adapt. Custer) (c. 1705/1974/1991)
• Little Fugue in G Minor, BWV 578 (arr. Parks)
• My Heart is Filled With Longing (arr. Alfred Reed) (c. 1710/1986)
• My Jesus, Oh What Anguish (arr. Alfred Reed)
• Nun komm der Heiden Heiland (arr. McAlister)
• O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht (arr. Westover) (c. 1736/2017)
• O Mensch, Bewein' Dein Sünde Gross (arr. Grainger; ed. Brion and Brand) (1724?/1937-1942/1987)
• Our Father Who Art In Heaven (arr. Alfred Reed)
• Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor (tr. Donald Hunsberger) (1703-1713?/ 1968/1975)
• Passacaglia and Thema Fugatum in C Minor (tr. Stowkowski; ed. Sosnowchik) (1703-1713?/2014)
• Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor (tr. Nicholas Falcone) (ca. 1712/1969)
• Passacaglia from "Cantata No. 12" (arr. Daehn) (1714/2011)
• Präludium und Fuge d-Moll (trans. Rechtman) (1722/2003)
• Prelude and Fugue in B-flat Major (arr. Moehlmann) (1955)
• Prelude and Fugue in B-flat Minor (arr. Moehlmann) (1969)
• Prelude and Fugue in D Major BWV 532 (arr. Steinmetz) (17109/2018)
• Prelude and Fugue in D minor (tr. Moehlmann) (1988)
• Prelude and Fugue in D Minor (trans. Rechtman), see: Präludium und Fuge d-Moll
• Prelude and Fugue in E-flat (setting Hunsberger) (c. 1739/2009)
• Prelude and Fugue in G Minor (arr. Moehlmann)
• Prelude, Chorale and Fugue (arr. Godfrey) (1919)
• "Ricercare a 6" from Musical Offering, BWV 1079 (tr. McAlister)
• Saint Anne's Fugue (arr. Rhoads) (1965)
• Sheep May Safely Graze (arr. Alfred Reed) (1713/1981)
• Sinfonia from "Cantata No 29" (arr. Ninmer)
• Sleepers, Awake! (arr. Alfred Reed) (1731)
• Sleepers, Awake! (tr. Sparke) (1731/2002)
• St. Anne. See: Prelude and Fugue in E-flat
• Thus Do You Fare, My Jesus (arr. Alfred Reed)
• Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C Major (arr. Rechtman) (c. 1717)
• Toccata and Fugue in D minor (tr. Hindsley) (1705)
• Toccata and Fugue in D minor (tr. Hunsberger) (1705/1998)
• Toccata and Fugue in D minor (tr Leidzen) (tr. Leidzen) (1705/1942)
• Toccata and Fugue in D minor (tr Nowlin) (tr. Nowlin) (1705/2015)
• Toccata and Fugue in D minor (tr. Goto) (1705/2014)
• Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue, BWV 564 (tr. Paynter) (c1717/2000)
• Toccata, Adagio and Fugue (tr. Knox) (c1717)
• Who Puts His Trust in God Most Just (arr. James Croft) (1978)
• Wir Glauben All’ An Einen Gott (1739)

Resources

• Bach, J.; Grainger, P.; Brion, K.; Brand, K. (1987). O Mensch, bewein' dein' Sünde gross : O, Man, Now Weep for Thy Great Sin : Chorale-Prelude [score]. G&M Publications: Aylesbury, Bucks, England.
• O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß, Wikipedia Accessed 29 April 2018
• Perusal score