Vera Danilina plays Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, a chorale prelude by Johann Sebastian Bach, on a guitar from our own line, the Siccas Luthiers Recital Traditional with a cedar top.
About the Chorale Prelude
Bach wrote Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639, for organ as part of the Orgelbüchlein, his "Little Organ Book" of short chorale preludes. Each piece in the collection takes a Lutheran hymn tune and sets it over an accompaniment. This one is among the most popular of them. It is in F minor and written as a trio, with one voice for each of the organ's two manuals and one for the pedal. The ornamented hymn tune lies on top, a flowing middle voice moves beneath it, and the bass walks in steady notes.
The hymn goes back to the Reformation. Its text is attributed to Johannes Agricola, and the melody was first printed in 1526 or 1527. The words are a personal prayer to Christ. Bach also built his chorale cantata BWV 177 on the complete hymn text. His organ setting reached a new audience in 1972, when Andrei Tarkovsky used it in his film Solaris.
Organ Music on the Guitar
Three voices are within reach of one guitarist, so a trio like this one can be played complete. The challenge is sustain. On the organ the melody can hold every note as long as the player wants, while on the guitar each note begins to fade the moment it sounds. The performance depends on a singing legato and on keeping the hymn tune above the two lower voices. Our Bach repertoire guide introduces the works guitarists play most.
About Vera Danilina
Vera Danilina was born in 1999 in Penza, Russia, and began playing the guitar at five. In 2022 she won first prize at the Michele Pittaluga competition in Alessandria and at the International Guitar Competition in Iserlohn. Her debut album was released in 2023 on Contrastes Records. On our site you can also watch her play the Concierto de Aranjuez.
The Guitar
The Siccas Luthiers Recital Traditional Cedar is a traditional classical guitar in all solid woods. It has Ramirez-style fan bracing, a cedar top, Indian rosewood back and sides and a 650 mm scale. Each Siccas Luthiers guitar undergoes a careful setup and final inspection in our workshop in Karlsruhe before being shipped to our customers. More about the line in our article on Siccas Luthiers guitars.
Watch the Performance
Browse the repertoire in our overview of famous classical guitar pieces.
