The first and second movements are in
sonata form; the third movement is a
fugue which also has elements of sonata form. An impression of spontaneous
improvisation is achieved by the overlapping and enmeshing of
phrases and movements, which allows the avoidance of regular structures. All thematic phrases are also shaped irregularly, producing such great diversity that no musical idea is repeated exactly. The opening
theme of the piece provides the basis of all the rest of the thematic material. This music is an interpretation of the text 'Herr, Gott, des die Rache ist, erscheine'; a head-motif is followed by a descending
chromatic scale. Ascending
chords on the
manual follow, a musical invocation of
God. The
development section of the first movement, from the
allegro con fuoco, depicts the second group of verses, leading into a recapitulation in
organo pleno. The
adagio second movement depicts the
Bekümmernisse (
sorrows) and
Tröstungen (
consolations)
moods of the third group of verses, and closes with a reappearance of the opening theme of the sonata. A furious
fugue closes the work, depicting God's judgment and victory over
evil. According to E. Power Biggs, Reubke inverts the second half of the original theme, thereby imparting a new drive, energy, and excitement to the music. The exposition and counter-exposition are regular, the subject appearing only on the
tonic and
dominant degrees of the scale. The opening chords of the sonata appear once more in a linking
developmental episode, in a
dotted rhythm and with full organ. Unlike similar dramatic compositions in which a contrasting
lyrical theme is usually introduced, leading to a final victorious
apotheosis, the sonata ends with an accelerated
tempo and huge final
C minor chords, depicting the gravity of
divine judgment. ==Performance and recordings==