Choral Fantasies

Heinrich Scheidemann is regarded as one of the most influential organists of the 17th century. His most significant achievement lies within his further developing of his teacher J. P. Sweelinck’s chorale arrangements into a wide-ranging chorale fantasia primarily to display in full the organ’s sound.

The present volume constitutes a complete edition of all nine Chorale Fantasias based on Lutheran chorales that, except for one, are extant as individual works.

The authenticity of six fantasias is considered certain, with the attribution of the three anonymously transmitted works being based on the source situation and style. The repertoire as a whole provides an insight into the progressive development of the chorale fantasia and concurrently represents Scheidemann’s three main creative phases.