Choralvorspiele, Band 1 op. 34, 1-67

Carl Piutti (1846–1902) was a teacher at the Leipzig Conservatory and an organist at St. Thomas ’s in Leipzig . He wrote many organ pieces in a late-romantic vein, including Two Hundred Chorale Preludes for Organ, op. 34. These organ preludes were among the most frequently heard liturgical organ music of the late 19th century. Their mixture of chorale elaboration, melodic figuration, striking harmony, toccata-like virtuosity and imitation was never an end in itself, but always subservient to the essence of the underlying hymn tunes.

Influences from Mendelssohn are evident in the melodic writing.

In a preface to the first edition the composer himself claimed: “The pieces in this collection are all written for worship in church. With few exceptions they can be used equally well as preludes or postludes. If the short ones are suitable only as plain introductions to congregational singing, the longer ones will find their places as postludes or festive preludes.

Most of the pieces are easy to play; none of them are truly difficult; a trained organist will be able to play many of them at sight after having skimmed the page.”

Unlike the first edition, the keys in this projected three-volume series have been adapted to conform with the Lutheran Hymnal and the Gotteslob .