Heinrich Scheidemann was a prominent North German organ master whose works bridge the gap between Sweelinck and Buxtehude. This piece is characterized by intricate imitation and echo effects typical of the seventeenth-century stylus phantasticus.
At Henle 6 this is an advanced piece that assumes fluent technique and rewards mature interpretation. The main demands: independent voices that must each sing on their own line; fine finger independence within the hand; and precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece.
Beyond that, expect chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
Strict adherence to Baroque articulation and non-legato touch is essential for clarity.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
A level or two down with the same spirit — ideal if this piece is still out of reach.
Where this piece's skills lead: slightly harder works making similar technical demands.
Lesser-known works by the same hand, at a comparable level.
Chorale Prelude 'Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist' is rated Henle level 6 of 9 — advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 7–8. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 8.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 6 — meaning you can already play level 5–6 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Chorale Prelude 'Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist' lasts about 4 minutes.
Chorale Prelude 'Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist' is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Chorale Fantasy 'In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr' by Heinrich Scheidemann, Clair de lune by Claude Debussy, Berceuse Op.57 by Frédéric Chopin — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.