This composition is the last of the set of three lenten chorale preludes for the hymn St. Flavian. Here is where I admit that this particular movement went through a whole bunch of drafts before it got to the version that it’s currently in. One thing I have tried to do with these preludes is leave them open to interpretation. I decided to register this movement for manuals only, strings in the right hand, flutes in the left. That was after I had a different registration where I had the upper two voices for the hands and the chorale in the pedals; namely a trio registration. I also first played it fairly slow but decided to record it at a faster tempo.
That’s all a round about way to say that I have tried to make these preludes open ended. I love the idea that a composition can take a different shape depending on who is performing it. There are compositions that I want to have specific outcomes, but not here. Don’t forget to download the score here!