Johann Sebastian Bach / Dame Myra Hess - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (c. 1920s)

The original of this consoling piece is the final movement of Bach’s Cantata No. 147, Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben. The underlying chorale melody was drawn from Johann Schop’s Werde munter, mein Gemüthe (1642). Bach harmonised it for chorus, with trumpet doubling the melody, accompanied by strings, continuo, and oboes. 

After first hearing the chorale prelude in April 1920, the sublime melody lingered in Hess’s mind, prompting her to transcribe and play it repeatedly. Beyond sharing this extemporaneous arrangement with friends, she often performed it in public, particularly at the lunchtime concerts held at London’s National Gallery. These concerts, continued throughout World War II, aimed to uplift the spirits of London people during a time of cultural blackout and were met with widespread acclaim. 

In this transcription, the rise and fall of the dynamics reflect the text’s expressive contours. Hess’s gift for transforming spiritual depth into piano sound has won this work the affection of pianists and audiences worldwide. Today, it stands as one of the most beloved piano transcriptions of Bach, alongside other arrangements by Harold Bauer and Wilhelm Kempff.