Release Date: 02 January 2005
Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 747313224821
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: BUXTEHUDE
Description
Dietrich Buxtehude (c.1637-1707): Complete Chamber Music 1Seven Sonatas, Op. 1In 1668, when Buxtehude was about thirty (neither thedate nor the place of his birth are known), he wasappointed to the coveted post of organist at St Mary'sChurch in the free Hanseatic city of L??beck on the Balticcoast of Germany. Until then his upbringing, education,and musical career had taken place within the boundariesof the kingdom of Denmark. His father had left the littletown of Oldesloe in the duchy of Holstein to serve asorganist in Helsingborg, and from there he moved at thebeginning of the 1640s to Helsing?©r. It was in those twocities on opposite sides of the ?ÿre Sound that the youngerBuxtehude began his career as a professional organist,ultimately being appointed in 1660 by the Germancongregation of St Mary's in Helsing?©r. His musicalhorizons, however, were not restricted to the immediatelocality. Only forty kilometres south of Helsing?©r lay theDanish capital of Copenhagen, with its flourishingmusical environment both ecclesiastical and secular, andBuxtehude must have been familiar with developmentsthere. In the 1660s the Danish royal chapel was under thedirection of Kaspar Forster the Younger, and theorganists of the six churches in the city attracted pupilsfrom all over Europe, including, for example, JohannLorentz the Younger, who probably taught Buxtehude,and gave public recitals to large audiences in the churchof St Nicholas.Buxtehude's new position in L??beck far exceededthat in Helsing?©r in both prestige and remuneration. Herehe found a musical culture not far behind that ofCopenhagen, with even court music within his reach, fornot far away lay the palace of the Duke of Gottorp. StMary's, L??beck, was the most important church in thecity, the official place of worship of the city council, andin the next forty years, until his death in 1707, Buxtehudewas to practise a range of musical activities there thatwent far beyond his obligations as organist andWerkmeister (administrator and treasurer). While theKantor of the church bore the main responsibility for themusical establishment, and in particular for directing thechoir, the organist had to play at services and onimportant feasts and holidays, but there was also avigorous tradition of secular music, and the citymusicians, the so-called Ratsmusik, forged a close linkbetween ecclesiastical and municipal music. TheRatsmusik in Buxtehude's time comprised seven highlyqualified musicians retained, like the organist himself,directly by the Senate. Their duties included playing inchurch when instruments were required there, as well asappearing at public and private functions at the commandof the Senate and citizenry. The string players hadparticularly proud traditions going back to the beginningof the century, with violin and gamba virtuosi, as inHamburg, famed throughout Europe.The major musical centre of Hamburg lay not faraway, with an opera house and a concert society(collegium musicum) as well as
Tracklisting
Dariia Lytvishko
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop
Alice Di Piazza; Basel Sinfonietta; NDR Bigband; Titus Engel
Anna Alas i Jove; Miquel Villalba
David Childs; Black Dyke Band; Nicholas Childs
Various
Various
Lully
