Dietrich Buxtehude

This little chorale prelude could not be more different from Buxtehude's other setting on the same chorale. While the other is one of his longest, this one is quite compact. The other prelude is rather atypical in Buxtehude's output, while this prelude is the typical Buxtehude prelude with the chorale melody appearing in the soprano with some embellishment. The chorale tune is one of the principal Lutheran Christmas chorales. The text to verses 2 through 7 was written by Martin Luther. The text to the first verse reads as follows, "Praise be to you Jesus Christ, that you were born as a man from a virgin, it is true; That is why the hosts of angels rejoice. Kyrieleis." Buxtehude's setting is quite cheery, and ends with a three-measure flourish on the last note that ascends to an octave higher than the original note and ends up two octaves lower than the melody.