Originally composed in Weimar and later revised in Leipzig, J. S. Bach's chorale preludes have been a source of some puzzlement. However, Bach scholar Anne Leahy argues that through the careful
examination of the links among the music, hymn texts, and theological sources some answers may be had. From Bach's personal and deep interest in Lutheran theology to his enormous musical
passion, Leahy considers a series of critical questions is there a common theme in setting or does the original manuscript for the chorales simply reflect a random gathering of compositions?
How critical is their order and what might its theological significance be? And if the chorales are a unified collection, which parts were to be included and which not? Indeed, were the
chorales themselves part of a possibly larger corpus? As Leahy makes evident, there are no simple answers, which is why she considers the critical relationship between the texts of the hymns
and their relationship to the chorales, outlining a theological pattern vital to fully grasping the guiding philosophy of these compositions. J. S. Bach's Leipzig Chorale Preludes Music, Text,
Theology is ideally suited for Bach scholars and those with a general interest in the intricate relationship between text and music in the composition of religious music.
