Work
O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde gross
for ondes martenot, glass harp, woodwind and strings
About
This work is based on Chorale Prelude BWV 22 from the Orgelbüchlein by J S Bach (1685-1750)
As a young organist in my youth I played through all of Bach’s Little Organ Book. Bach’s Holy Week chorale prelude takes the chorale theme and turns it into an extraordinarily florid line, full of expressive detail, and commonly played with a vox humana (‘human voice’) stop on the organ. What better substitute than the voice of the Ondes Martenot? The register of the original accompaniment is raised an octave and shared between upper woodwind and glass harp, while muted strings occasionally swell up from below.
Performance history
21 Aug 2004: Performed by GateSeven with Takashi Harada (ondes martenot) and Weeraphong Thaweesak (glass harp); Sacred Heart Cathedral, Wellington