Buxtehude organ works

Started by Shrunk, October 10, 2007, 05:19:46 AM

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Marc

#140
Considering the chronology of the organ works: I do not know of a list by date of composition. But I do know that none of these works were printed during Buxtehude's life, and that many copies were made after his death. This means it's very difficult to make such a list.

Considering Snyder's monography: it's about 500 to 600 pages, isn't it? My guess is you will find lots of interesting information .... and a lot of analysis. Just buy it, go to the beach upcoming summer and read it! ;D

Considering Langwarden: very rarely recorded, I think. There is a vinyl series called Das Orgelportrait - Frisische Orgelpracht - Historische Orgeln in Friesland und Oldenburg with organist Wilhelm Krumbach, but I doubt if it's ever been re-issued on cd.
In most cases, discs like these are issued in small amounts by local or regional foundations for ancient monuments and/or organs (mostly to raise some money for restorations and such) and after they are sold out .... it's all over.

EDIT: here's a disc with a.o. the Langwarden organ. Johannes Kaußler plays some pieces from the Susanne van Soldt manuscript, late 16th century.

http://www.amazon.de/CD-Orgellandschaften-Vol-N%C3%B6rdlichen-Oldenburger/dp/B00630LOLU/

Karl Henning

Quote from: Marc on April 13, 2012, 04:34:40 AM
Considering the chronology of the organ works: I do not know of a list by date of composition. But I do know that none of these works were printed during Buxtehude's life, and that many copies were made after his death. This means it's very difficult to make such a list.

Thanks for this, Marc . . . I was rather imagining a case (or a life) where dating the oeuvre would be problematic.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Josquin des Prez

#142
The only works of Buxtehude i know that can be dated with any certainty are his last masses, of which none survives. And that's that i guess. However, considering the music Bach wrote while under the influence of the late Buxtehude its probably safe to assume his style hadn't changed much.

Mandryka

I've read somewhere (I just can't remember where) that the D minor Pasacaglia and the Prelude BuxWV 153   are late works -- I think that was what made me start thinking that I need to understand something about his musical evolution.

I guess you're suggesting that that's dubious.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Marc

Quote from: Mandryka on April 13, 2012, 08:00:07 AM
I've read somewhere (I just can't remember where) that the D minor Pasacaglia and the Prelude BuxWV 153   are late works -- I think that was what made me start thinking that I need to understand something about his musical evolution.

I guess you're suggesting that that's dubious.

I can't suggest anything really, not even something dubious. ;)
I think you'd have to check Snyder's 'Buxtehude Bible'.
There is a chapter called Toward a chronology of Buxtehude's Music.

I hope these links will work for you. They might be helpful.

http://books.google.com/books/about/Dieterich_Buxtehude.html?id=qSXGOoambNcC

http://books.google.com/books?id=qSXGOoambNcC&printsec=frontcover&hl=en

71 dB

Quote from: Josquin des Prez on March 11, 2012, 03:04:13 PM
I wish more ensembles would take up on his cantatas, don't really like Koopman. :(

6 Cantatas - Orchestra Anima Eterna/Collegium Vocale/Jos van Immerseel - Channel Classics is my favorite Buxtehude cantata disc.

[asin]B000003UZ1[/asin]

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Marc

Quote from: 71 dB on April 13, 2012, 09:55:56 AM
6 Cantatas - Orchestra Anima Eterna/Collegium Vocale/Jos van Immerseel - Channel Classics is my favorite Buxtehude cantata disc.

[asin]B000003UZ1[/asin]

Good choice indeed.

Other possibilities (we're getting more off-topic, plz don't punish me), though I dunno all of them: Naxos discs by Holloway, Kirkby et al (Vocal Music, Vols 1-2), Naxos disc with cantatas by the Aradia Ensemble, Cantatas by the Ricercar Consort, Cantatas by Cantus Cölln and Scandinavian Cantatas by the Theatre of Voices with Paul Hillier. The latter with some organ works played by Bine Katrine Bryndorf!

Ha! Back to topic! ;D



http://www.amazon.com/Scandinavian-Cantatas-Buxtehude/dp/B00442M0QW/

Mandryka

Quote from: Marc on April 13, 2012, 08:38:06 AM
I can't suggest anything really, not even something dubious. ;)
I think you'd have to check Snyder's 'Buxtehude Bible'.
There is a chapter called Toward a chronology of Buxtehude's Music.

I hope these links will work for you. They might be helpful.

http://books.google.com/books/about/Dieterich_Buxtehude.html?id=qSXGOoambNcC

http://books.google.com/books?id=qSXGOoambNcC&printsec=frontcover&hl=en

Ordered (I found a cheap copy on ebay.) I'll post if there's anything revealing in it.

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Marc

Quote from: Mandryka on April 13, 2012, 11:29:41 AM
Ordered (I found a cheap copy on ebay.) I'll post if there's anything revealing in it.

Congrats! :)

Karl Henning

Quote from: 71 dB on April 13, 2012, 09:55:56 AM
6 Cantatas - Orchestra Anima Eterna/Collegium Vocale/Jos van Immerseel - Channel Classics is my favorite Buxtehude cantata disc.

[asin]B000003UZ1[/asin]

Well done, Poju!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Mandryka

#150
I've been  listening to performances of Buxwv 188, a big chorale (Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ.)

Anyway one interesting record is Walter Kraft's, because of the sweep of it. It's as if he bites off the whole chorale in one piece. There are no seams. In this respect, he reminds me of Walter Gieseking  -- Gieseking can do that sometimes, in Ravel's Pavene and the pre-war Gaspard de la Nuit  for example.

Another place where I was struck by this sweep quality of Kraft's art is in the Bach chorale  BWV 676.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

In Gilles Cantagrel's  book on Buxtehude, there's this chronology of organ music

First period (up to 1673): BuxWV 143, 144, 150, 152, 158, 156, 204.

Second period (before 1683): BuxWV 137, 138, 148, 157, 212, 213, 

Final  period:  BuxWV 139, 140, 141, 142, 145, 146, 149, 151, 155, 156, 203, 159, 160

The dates are deduced partly from what we know about the temperaments of the organs he used – changes in temperament led to changes to his music.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

premont

#152
Quote from: Mandryka on April 17, 2012, 08:28:00 AM
In Gilles Cantagrel's  book on Buxtehude, there's this chronology of organ music

The dates are deduced partly from what we know about the temperaments of the organs he used – changes in temperament led to changes to his music.

I am not sure that this is a valid consideration, or at least it can not stand alone. Remember the many chromatic pieces by some baroque composers before Buxtehude, meant to be played on meantone tuned organs, using the unequal tuning for expressive purposes. I favour the theory, that Buxtehude´s music from a formal point of view, not necessary from a tonal point of view, became more complicated with time.
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premont

Quote from: Mandryka on April 15, 2012, 06:40:42 AM
Anyway one interesting record is Walter Kraft's, because of the sweep of it. It's as if he bites off the whole chorale in one piece. There are no seams. In this respect, he reminds me of Walter Gieseking  -- Gieseking can do that sometimes, in Ravel's Pavene and the pre-war Gaspard de la Nuit  for example.

Another place where I was struck by this sweep quality of Kraft's art is in the Bach chorale  BWV 676.

This "sweep" is IMO a good description of a central component of the "Kraft-effect", which made his playing so vital and impressive. I may BTW be biased, as some of the first Buxtehude I ever heard was at some Kraft-recitals in Copenhagen, f.i. BuxWV 150 (g-minor prelude) and BuxWV 155 (d-minor toccata). Even if I did not know the pieces beforehand I still remember this "sweep" and many details of the performances.
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Antoine Marchand

#154
Quote from: Marc on April 13, 2012, 11:28:45 AM
Good choice indeed.

Other possibilities (we're getting more off-topic, plz don't punish me), though I dunno all of them: Naxos discs by Holloway, Kirkby et al (Vocal Music, Vols 1-2), Naxos disc with cantatas by the Aradia Ensemble, Cantatas by the Ricercar Consort, Cantatas by Cantus Cölln and Scandinavian Cantatas by the Theatre of Voices with Paul Hillier. The latter with some organ works played by Bine Katrine Bryndorf!

Ha! Back to topic! ;D



http://www.amazon.com/Scandinavian-Cantatas-Buxtehude/dp/B00442M0QW/

I guess you're not very fond of Koopman, Marc, but I think he should be considered too. Actually, he has recorded what I believe it's the larger amount of Buxtehude's cantatas in existence. Quantity considerations aside, I have been listening to some vocal music directed by Koopman (via NML) and it sounds very enticing, indeed. I even ordered from Amazon Italy all the five volumes of vocal music recorded on Challenge so far, IMO the best part of his recordings devoted to Buxtehude. 

:)

Marc

Quote from: Antoine Marchand on April 25, 2012, 08:24:08 PM
I guess you're not very fond of Koopman, Marc, but I think he should be considered too. Actually, he has recorded what I believe it's the larger amount of Buxtehude's cantatas in existence. Quantity considerations aside, I have been listening to some vocal music directed by Koopman (via NML) and it sounds very enticing, indeed. [....]

I wasn't judging about mr. Marchand ;), just reacting to a post from someone else who did not really like Koopman and seemed to be searching for something else:

Quote from: Josquin des Prez on March 11, 2012, 03:04:13 PM
[....]
I wish more ensembles would take up on his cantatas, don't really like Koopman. :(

I dunno much myself about Koopman's efforts in Bux; I only have one disc with organ works from his Novalis period and I think it's all right, although he's probably not my first choice.



http://www.amazon.com/Buxtehude-Organ-Works-Dietrich/dp/B000001MPP

Combined with my 'knowledge' about organist/harpsichordist Koopman in Bach, I would say that I sometimes feel that he's almost too 'fantastic' in the 'stile fantastico'.

Mandryka

#156
Here's a couple of CD's I found on spotify which I've been playing a bit



The Uwe Druzella record has a Magnificat primi toni, BuxWV 203 which I like a lot (I'm trying to explore the Chorale Fantasies, and this BuxWV 203 seems to stand out from the crowd a bit); I'm less sure that I can really single out anything special from the Suzuki CD, but it's not unpleasant and quite distinctive, and it's early days yet for me to draw any conclusions about it. But I'd say both are worth a listen, especially if you have spotify .

Vernet's Buxtehude records are also on spotify, and some of the performances there have caught my attention as being interesting -- BuxWV 210 for example, which is kind of rapt and hushed. I also liked his BuxWV 194 (They're all  chorale fantasies.)

Unfortnately Rubsam's Naxos CD isn't on spotify but it's well worth hearing I think, not least for the Te Deum Laudamus.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Antoine Marchand

#157
Quote from: Marc on April 26, 2012, 12:32:19 PM
I wasn't judging about mr. Marchand ;), just reacting to a post from someone else who did not really like Koopman and seemed to be searching for something else:

I dunno much myself about Koopman's efforts in Bux; I only have one disc with organ works from his Novalis period and I think it's all right, although he's probably not my first choice.



http://www.amazon.com/Buxtehude-Organ-Works-Dietrich/dp/B000001MPP

Combined with my 'knowledge' about organist/harpsichordist Koopman in Bach, I would say that I sometimes feel that he's almost too 'fantastic' in the 'stile fantastico'.

Sorry, I didn't read the JdP's post before reading your post.  :)

I'm not specially interested in the solo or instrumental music part of Koopman's series. Frequently, I have  experienced his organ and harpsichord recordings as too much "imaginative" to my taste (with remarkable exceptions as his Leipzig chorales or his French Suites). But, on the contrary, I generally enjoy his attempts on vocal music. Actually, these days I have started his recordings of Buxtehude's vocal music, with the vol. 1 Das jüngste Gericht, BuxWV Anh 3 "Wacht! Euch zum Streit gefasset macht", an oratorio of dubious authenticity, but highly enjoyable in this recordings. All the voices and instrumentalists are excellent and my only criticism could be regarding certain "extroverted" character of the performances that I don't  always relate easily to Buxtehude. Maybe (but just maybe) it would be desirable some accent on the intimacy of the performances and some cut in the number of the members of the chorus, to eliminate some fat.


Marc

(Posted this also a few minutes ago in the 'what are you listening to' thread):

Now listening to:

Buxtehude: Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin BuxWV 76.

Version for soprano, bass & organ.
In most cases only played on the organ, which is already a treat.
The contributions of soprano Anna Jobrandt and bass Jan Börjesson are certainly adding to the 'Nunc dimittis' atmosphere.

Tracks can be found on disc 7 of Hans Davidsson's integral of Buxtehude's organ works.



Some info about this interesting project:

http://www.gothic-catalog.com/Buxtehude_Organ_Works_The_Complete_Collection_p/box-buxtehude.htm

Sammy

Quote from: Mandryka on April 26, 2012, 12:47:09 PM
Unfortnately Rubsam's Naxos CD isn't on spotify but it's well worth hearing I think, not least for the Te Deum Laudamus.

Based on my view of Rubsam's Bach organ series as being wonderfully strong and severe, I was greatly looking forward to his Buxtehude disc when it first came out a few years ago.  Unfortunately, although a fine disc, I didn't find it distinctive in comparison with other Buxtehude organ discs I know.  So yes, well worth hearing, but not a must IMHO.