"Jesu, meiner Seelen Wonne" was written by Martin Janus and published in 1661, and by the time J. S. Bach arranged it, and changed the lyrics to "Jesus bleibet meine Freude" for his cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 in 1723, it had become one of the most beloved, and well known of all German hymns. Yet It wouldn't be Bach's arrangement that would render Janus' song universally known, but rather that of a 1923 piano transcription of Bach's chorus and orchestra setting by English pianist Myra Hess, with the English title "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring". Interesting that Hess chose to use Janus's (translated) original title in her transcription.
So with great care, and deep respect for Janus, Bach, and Hess, I have stumbled into the mix with my own version.
My work for solo piano can best be described as an arrangement of Janus' song, with a big nod to J.S. Bach, written for a pianist who loves Bach, but also Debussy and Chopin by a pianist who loves Bach, Debussy, and Chopin. I've tried to lasso all of that in, while making good use of the piano, and of an advanced pianist's skill set--at the same time leaving my own thumbprint here and there.
As a commission from a wife to a husband-pianist, I worked also to create a loving dialogue in the first and last parts of this ternary form. The dialogue in parts 1 & 3 turned out to be a trio. The melody, in the alto range, makes a duet with the voice in the baritone range, while in the upper part you'll hear the ascending 16th note motive that Bach frequently used to illustrate the Holy Spirit. A trio-logue, between the couple and Spirit.
There is a mechanically challenging middle section wherein, you will find all of the pentatonicism, mode-work, and color of Claude Debussy, but enough chromaticism to make Liszt blush.
The third section is a return to the 'trio-logue', but up in the range of the overtones of the first.
I end the piece by signing Bach's name*, as he often did. Sadly, he was available neither in 2020 nor in 2021 to sign it himself. So in the interim, I'm sure he won't mind us signing for him. Also in Bach's honor, I wrote "Soli Deo Gloria" (To God Alone be the Glory), where the fine goes.
--NOTES FOR MUSIC NERDS:--
*In German music, the names for the music notes are such that Bb is B, A is A, C is C, and B is H. So Bach's name is Bb,A,C, B. He often used this to musically 'sign' his name at the end of his pieces. It was a super fun challenge to figure out how to use a Bb in G Major...so of course I used a C#°7 chord as a vii°7/V. Who wouldn't? I slipped into that wild chord by using the vi chord (E minor). Nifty, no? It actually just ended up sounding like...well...Bach.
--Bill Whitley, Albany OR, September 2021