Johann Sebastian Bach: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is a form of Baroque music. The song is one of Bach's more famous pieces (Shinn). It was written to be played in a slow style, for wedding or religious services. The song was originally composed so that voices would be singing along with it. Now a days, people tend to use it as a piano piece (Shinn). The peacefulness of the song allow one critic to say, " Since the prelude is slow enough and lacks dynanicism and violent emotion, it puts the listener and performer in a more restful and contemplative condition" (Chamberlin).