Pedal-Exercitium | |
---|---|
by Johann Sebastian Bach | |
Key | G minor |
Catalogue | BWV 598 |
Form | Cadenza |
Composed | before 1735 |
Duration | approx. 2 minutes |
Movements | 1 |
The Pedal-Exercitium, BWV 598, is a short, virtuosic organ work for pedalboard alone, attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach and preserved in the handwriting of his son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. It consists of rapid broken-chord figurations and large leaps, serving as both a technical showpiece and a pedal exercise. [1]
The fragment survives without conclusion and its origins remain uncertain. Some scholars suggest it may have been transcribed on the spot by C. P. E. Bach from one of J. S. Bach's pedal improvisations. Musicologist Alberto Basso notes that it could reflect a spontaneous transcription of an improvisation by the father.
The contemporary organist Constantin Bellermann famously described Bach's pedal technique thus:
If this man so chooses, he can use only his feet ... to produce miraculous, quick and exciting harmonies ... such as those you see others produce with their fingers. [1]
The 33-measure fragment in G minor is a spectacular pedal solo, notable for fast passages, broad leaps and unexpected chromaticism. It has been interpreted as either an independent exercise, a didactic demonstration, or a transcription of an improvisatory segment. [1]
The piece illustrates Bach's extraordinary pedal technique—praised by Bellermann as producing sounds "like lightning"—and is widely used in contemporary pedagogy. Organists and scholars regard it as a remarkable example of technical and musical mastery in pedal solo repertoire. [1]
Despite its origin as an organ pedal exercise, BWV 598 has inspired several transcriptions and arrangements for various instruments, often highlighting its virtuosic character: