Organum IV

Prelude in C Major by Heinrich Scheidemann from Organum IV vol. 1

Organum IV (sometimes written ORG IV, de: Vierte Riehe) is a series of publications of early organ music edited by Max Seiffert and published by Kistner & Siegel in Leipzig, beginning in 1925.

Despite including additional symbols for practical use that are not present in the source, this series included some progressive/scholarly features such as listing the source for every piece in the preface.

For unknown reasons, the Organum IV series only published free organ works (including early praeludiums, but also canzonas, ciaconas, and fugues), ignoring all chorale-based organ compositions.

The Organum IV series was an important part of the efforts of german musicologists to expand the published repertoire of the North German Organ School. Within this series, the first editions of many important works were included, including the 13 fantasias by Paul Siefert, the complete extant organ preludes by Franz Tunder, many preludes by Heinrich Scheidemann, and many works anonymous and attributed to lesser-known composers. These lesser-known works were included in compilations as part of a sub-series titled Orgel-meister which was published alongside volumes more focused on certain composers.

The fourth series of Organum remains a valuable resource for the inclusion of some pieces which have recieved minimal attention since then, such as the anonymous Prelude from D-Lr Mus.ant.pract. K.N. 207/16 in volume 10 no. 5. However, as more scholarly critical editions are published in the modern day, this series has began to lose its value for the current-day performer.

Introduction

The preface to vol. 1 states that the primary purpose of Organum IV was to publish music from the North-German Organ School from Sweelinck to Buxtehude and to enrich the "Literatur um Spielmaterial" of this period of music in order to contextualize the music of J. S. Bach.

Contents

Volumes of Org. IV

#	Contents	Scans	Notes
1	Fünfzehn Präludien und Fugen / Heinrich Scheidemann
2	Orgel-Meister I. 3 Praeambeln / Jakob Praetorius. 2 Praeambeln / Melchior Schildt. Praeambulum / Johann Decker. Praeludium / D. Meyer. Canzon / Marcus Olter. 2 Praeludium / Christian Flor
3	14 Präludien, Fugen und Toccaten / Matthias Weckmann
4	Fünf Praeludien und Fugen / Georg Böhm
5	Orgel-Meister II. Toccata / Jean Adam Reinken. Sonatina / Christian Ritter
6	Vier Praeludien / Franz Tunder
7	[Orgel-Meister III] Praeludium / Arnold M. Brunckhorst. [Praeludium und Fuge / Andreas Kneller. 2 Praeludien / Georg Dietrich Leyding]
8	3 Praeludien und Fugen / Nikolaus Bruhns
9	Vier Praeludien und Fugen / Vincent Lübeck
10	6 Praeludien und Fugen / Anonymi der Norddeutschen Schule
11	10 Orgelwerke / Johann Jakob Froberger
12	Praeludien, Fantasien und Toccaten / Joh. Pachelbel
13	Ciaconen, Fugen und Ricercari / Joh. Pachelbel
14	Magnificat-Fugen / Joh. Pachelbel
15	Fünf Ausgewählte Orgelstücke / J. Gottfr. Walther
16	Drei Fugen / Fr. Wilh. Zachow
17	Ausgewählte Orgelstücke / Johann Krieger
18	Zwei Doppelfugen / Nik. Adam Strungk
19	Zwei Praeludien mit Fugen und eine Toccata / Johann Kuhnau
20	13 Fantasien à 3 / Paul Sieffert
21	Orgel-Meister IV. Toccata / Samuel Scheidt. Praeambulum pedaliter ; Praeludium ex E vel A pedaliter / Andreas Düben. Praeludium ; Praeludium pedaliter / David Äbel. Praeambulum pedaliter / Peter Hasse. Capriccio Gh ; Praeludium quarti Toni ; Fantasia 12. Juli 1664 / Wilhelm Karges. Praeludium ex d fis con pedal / Peter Hasse
22	Acht Toccaten und Fugen / Joseph Seeger.

References

Beckmann, Klaus, Die Norddeutsche Schule. Teil II: Blütezeit und Verfall. Mainz: Schott, 2009.