Buxtehude, D.: Harpsichord Music, Vol. 2

Featuring

Lars Ulrik Mortensen
Dietrich Buxtehude

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Composer Biography

Dietrich Buxtehude, the composer, was likely born in 1637 in Helsingborg, a Danish town now part of Sweden.

Composer Biography

Buxtehude's father, Johannes, was also an organist and his first teacher, having immigrated to Denmark from Oldesloe in Holstein.

Composition History

Buxtehude inherited and greatly expanded the tradition of performing 'Abendmusiken' (evening concerts) at St Mary's, Lübeck, which included vocalists and instrumentalists.

Composer Biography

Buxtehude held the prestigious position of organist and Werkmeister (administrator and treasurer) at St Mary's, Lübeck, becoming the most highly paid musician in the city.

Notable Performances

In 1703, both Johann Mattheson and Georg Frideric Handel visited Buxtehude in Lübeck, but neither was interested in the condition of marrying Buxtehude's eldest daughter to succeed him.

Notable Performances

Johann Sebastian Bach made a famous trip in 1705 to visit Buxtehude in Lübeck, staying for nearly three months to hear him play the organ and learn about his art.

Compositional Technique

Keyboard music of the 17th century was not usually instrument-specific, but Buxtehude's works can be broadly categorized for organ (pedaliter works and chorales) or harpsichord (secular suites and variations).