For the English organist and composer Percy Whitlock, most of life’s troubles could easily be countered by ‘a long walk and a dose of Bach’. Although the curative properties of the former are easily attainable by those of a moderate constitution, ‘a dose of Bach’ can, for some, be something a little too strongly concentrated. Fortunately, the surviving 45 concise chorale preludes in Bach’s Orgelbüchlein contain such a wondrous variety of short dosages that they can be digested whole in one sitting.

Coming so close on the heels of Fugue State Films’ fascinating Orgelbüchlein ‘completion’ by the Dutch organist Sietze de Vries (9/23), it has been instructive to listen to the drier, more meticulous approach by Masaaki Suzuki, director of the Bach Collegium Japan. Playing the generously appointed three-manual instrument built in 1737 by Christoph Treutmann the Elder in the Stiftskirche St Georg in Grauhof, Germany, Suzuki gives authoritative accounts of a pair of minor-key Preludes and Fugues. I liked his winsome use of rubato in the opening A minor Prelude and Fugue and enjoyed the particularly clattery pedal action evident in the opening of the C minor Prelude. His fondness for heavy registrations brings an immediacy to the recorded sound.

In general the faster and lighter preludes come off best. The running left-hand accompaniment in Herr Gott, nun schleuss den Himmel auf (BWV617) is especially immaculate. The choice of just a medium-powered diapason for Mit Fried’ und Freud’ (BWV616) proves that less is more and the limpid beauty of Das alte Jahr vergangen ist (BWV614) is enhanced by a gentle tremulant. Bach’s inner part-writing, voice-leading and phrasing nuances are all given fastidious attention, although – strangely – Suzuki skips the composer’s instruction to ‘solo out’ the melody on a pedal Trumpet stop in Gott, durch deine Güte (BWV600).

By and large Suzuki judges exactly the most appropriate approach to each chorale’s character, whether it be buoyant or loaded with gravitas. Occasionally, though, he over-ornaments the melodic line. Disappointingly, his rendition of the most poignant piece in the collection, O Mensch, bewein (BWV622), comes across as slightly nervous sight-reading.

Still, this is an impressive fourth volume in Suzuki’s BIS cycle, a highly restorative prescription.