SIONNA FESTIVAL, Limerick, 12th - 18th November 2007

This concert celebrates the tercentennial death of one of the ‘Great’ forces of North European Baroque music. His nationality is considered as Danish-German as perhaps was felt by him when he changed his name from the Danish ‘Diderik’ to the German Dietrich. (His forename translates into English as ‘skeleton key’ and his surname translates as ‘the back of beyond!’). He was organist at Helsingborg (1657-8), then at Elsinore (Helsingør) (1660-8), and finally at the Marienkirche in Lübeck from 1668 where his influence spread with the establishment of “Abendmusik” or evening concerts of choral and organ music held annually on Advent Sundays. It was a testament to his influence that three central figures of the Baroque era visited him (from1703-1706) to pay homage: G.F. Händel, G.P. Telemann, and J.S.Bach who walked 200 hundred miles from Arnstadt. Bach wanted to succeed Buxtehude at Lübeck but would not marry his daughter which was a precondition for the job! Buxtehude has been described as a central link between Heinrich Schütz ‘the father of German musicians’ and possibly the greatest: Bach. Although he was an organist and not a Kantor, a testament of 120 vocal works survives to highlight this link in Lutheran church music. His organ music covers most of the genre and is distinctly improvisatory in the bulk of his output: the preludes and fugues. Unlike Bach, Buxtehude’s preludes and fugues are generally shorter and constructed in sections that are contrasting in form.
Programme Notes:

This evening’s recital tries to represent the entire genre, by sample, of Buxtehude’s output as an organist. The pieces are interspersed by the chorales which gives some sense of context. The Toccatas are spectacular, dramatic pieces to ‘show-off,’ not only, the virtuosity of the performer but the instrument played upon. The recital opens and closes with ‘all the stops pulled out.’ The Prelude, less dramatic, nonetheless creates a grand impression with thematically linked sections that are intrinsically improvisatory, giving a sense of ‘live’ or ‘here and now’ to the performance. The Fugues have concise and fun-like themes which display simplicity of rhythm highlighted by effective countersubjects. Generally, they end with a coda which returns to the world of the preceding prelude or toccata. The Chorale Prelude is a musical form that the organist engaged with to remind the congregation of a hymn tune which was either: a] to be sung or sometimes b] reflected upon at some later part of the service. This evening the choir sings the chorale or hymn before and its tune is embellished in the chorale prelude. Buxtehude uses the soprano line which lyrically fluctuates around the tune. These pieces have a reflective and calm nature supported by gentle but steady accompaniment. Three of the four Chorale Variations are partitas which are simple two or three part pieces with the cantus firmus or hymn tune found within; they do not use the pedals. The remaining variation is, in fact, a chorale prelude similar to the others. Along with vernacular hymns the Magnificat was sung in the Lutheran Church. Buxtehude follows in the footsteps of other organists referencing the Magnificat (with some of its eight modes or tones) but not in simple alternatim form. He chooses an open improvisatory form, the Chorale Fantasia, which allegorically references the chant, comprising of various sections not obviously linked but impressionable to the listener. Finally, the Passacaglia and Ciacona are similar in that they are based on a melody that is repeated: a ground bass. The former is in a minor key and is delicately shaped with gentle variations on top whereas the latter is in a major key and is closer to the old Spanish sprightly dance of the same name.

Buxtehude Organ Recital