Sechs Chorale von verschiedener Art: auf einer Orgel mit 2 Clavieren und Pedal vorzuspielen (lit.

The fact that Bach had gone to the trouble and expense of securing the services of a master engraver to produce a collection of note-for-note transcriptions of this kind indicates that he did not regard the Schübler Chorales as a minor piece of hack-work, but as a significant public statement.

The hymn tune of this chorale prelude is "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" ("Wake, Awake for Night is Passing"), Zahn No.

Arranged from Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten, BWV 93, movement 4 (duet for soprano and alto).

Tune: "Meine Seele erhebt den Herren" ("My soul doth magnify the Lord"), a German variant of the tonus peregrinus or ninth psalm tone.

Arranged from Meine Seel erhebt den Herren, BWV 10, movement 5 (duet for alto and tenor, chorale instrumental).

Arranged from Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden, BWV 6, movement 3 (soprano chorale).

In Bach's Nekrolog the Schübler Chorales were listed as the fifth item, after the four Clavier-Übung volumes, among the composer's printed works: "Sechs dreystimmige Vorspiele, vor eben so viel Gesänge, für die Orgel" (lit.

[18][19][20] Forkel added that they were "full of dignity and religious feeling", and mentioned that the registration was sometimes indicated by Bach in greater detail than usual, for example in the second chorale (BWV 646).

[21] At least seven manuscript copies of the preludes, based on the uncorrected or corrected original print, were realised before Breitkopf & Härtel republished them in the early 19th century.