Ton Koopman

Dieterich Buxtehude’s organ works are his most significant contribution to the history of music. They consist of a comprehensive corpus of just 90 compositions, of which more than half are chorale settings. However, these are mostly shorter than the preludes, toccatas and other freely conceived pieces, so these last represent a more substantial share of his entire output. Five different types of pieces are included among the works collected in this CD, all representing distinct genres of improvisatory styles that make up the broad spectrum of the daily practice of organists in Lutheran Germany, whether designed as functional music for worship services, for presenting them in recitals, or for purposes of compositional study.

Ton Koopman studied organ with Simon C. Jansen and harpsichord with Gustav Leonhardt, alongside musicology in Amsterdam and was awarded the Prix d’Excellence for both instruments. As an organist he has performed and ecorded on the most prestigious historical instruments of Europe.

The HERITAGE collection, launched by Alia Vox in 2007 aims to offer a fresh vision of the recordings that Jordi Savall, Montserrat Figueras and their ensembles made for the Astrée label between 1977 and 1996. This unique discographic legacy of almost 70 albums will be remastered and edited with the meticulous care that has been Alia Vox's hallmark since the label was founded in 1998. Both past and present productions featuring the Alia Vox artists' performances will thus be available under a single banner, allowing listeners to measure the breadth and continuity of their work over more than 30 years. Tarquinio Merula (1594 or 1595-1665) was an Italian composer, organist and violinist of the early Baroque era. Although mainly active in Cremona, stylistically he was a member of the Venetian school and one of the most progressive Italian composers of the early 17th century, a key figure in the early development of several forms such as the cantata, the aria, the sonatas da chiesa and da camera, variations on a ground bass and the sinfonia.

One of the finest albums ever recorded by Montserrat Figueras, she has developed a reputation for the interpretation of early vocal music combining historical fidelity with vitality. In the 1970s, she rose to eminence as one of a generation of musicians who realised that vocal music before 1800 required a new technical and stylistic approach with emphasis on the poetic and spiritual dimension of the text. With the quality of her voice and the expertise of the ensemble backing her, including Jordi Savall and Ton Koopman, she brings an intimacy to her performances few other vocalists can match. Earlier this year, Jordi Savall was appointed European Union ambassador for intercultural dialogue.This distinction, together with the title of “Artist for Peace” that he shares with his wife Montserrat Figueras, marks the culmination and recognition of his work over more than 30 years on behalf of neglected and marginalised musical traditions and cultures such as those which flourished Spain before the Christian reconquest, as well as the musical dialogue between East and West.

This is the eighth release in a series of recordings which is presenting the complete works of the highly influential17th century composer Dieterich Buxtehude, and the third volume devoted to his organ works. The cycle is being produced by one of the world’s foremost experts in early music performance, the Dutch keyboard player and musical director Ton Koopman, who as president of the International Dieterich Buxtehude Society is considered to be the leading authority on his music.

None of the original instruments played by Buxtehude as organist in Helsingborg, Helsingør, and Lübeck has survived. Therefore, it is in no way possible to obtain information on the quality of sound of the individual organs that might have inspired the composer. The organs used for the present recordings were not Buxtehude’s instruments, but they represent excellent examples of historical instruments from Buxtehude’s time which resemble the typical range of large and medium-sized instruments characteristic of the North German organ landscape. The Schnitger organ of Hamburg’s Jacobi Church of 1689-93 actually represents an instrument that Buxtehude would surely have known, for he travelled frequently to Lübeck’s sister city. He also wanted Arp Schnitger to thoroughly renovate his own organ at St. Mary’s, but he did not succeed with his plans. On the other hand, in 1696-99 Schnitger and his companion Hans Hantelmann built the new large organ for the Lübeck cathedral, an instrument not only tested officially by Buxtehude but probably frequently played by him as well.

Five different types of pieces are included among the works collected in this CD, all representing distinct genres of improvisatory styles that make up the broad spectrum of the daily practice of organists in Lutheran Germany, whether designed as functional music for worship services, for presenting them in recitals, or for purposes of compositional study. The five pedaliter preludes in C BuxWV 137, in D BuxWV 140, in F BuxWV 145, in G BuxWV 148, and again in G,BuxWV 149, include some of Buxtehude’s most mature, attractive, and exemplary large-scale compositions. Fugal writing for organ is represented by two examples, the Fuga in B-flat BuxWV 176, written in canzona manner, and the Canzonetta in A BuxWV 225. Both works don’t make use of the organ pedal. Instead they require most demanding fingerwork on the manuals. The Ciacona in C BuxWV 159, one of three independent ostinato compositions, demonstrates how this type of variation setting not only can sustain an entire work, but can also introduce innovative elements. The organ chorales represent two basic types, multi-movement variations and chorale preludes.