BUXTEHUDE: OPERA OMNIA IX (COMPLETE ORGAN WORKS IV): TON KOOPMAN CHALLENGE

01. Praeludium in C BuxWV 138 03:15
02. Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott BuxWV 199 03:33
03. Canzonetta in G BuxWV 172 02:08
04. Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich BuxWV 202 01:08
05. Wir danken dir, Herr Jesu Christ BuxWV 224 01:10
06. Praeludium in G BuxWV 147 03:01
07. Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ BuxWV 196 03:00
08. Canzonetta in G BuxWV 171 02:01
09. Vater unser im Himmelreich BuxWV 219 02:28
10. Magnificat Primi Toni BuxWV 203 06:13
11. Praeludium in F BuxWV 144 02:37
12. Nun lob mein Seel? den Herren BuxWV 212 03:05
13. Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn BuxWV 201 02:30
14. Canzonetta in C BuxWV 167 01:04
15. Es ist das Heil uns kommen her BuxWV 186 02:36
16. Jesus Christus, unser Heiland BuxWV 198 01:54
17. Gott der Vater wohn uns bei BuxWV 190 02:49
18. Nimm von uns, Herr BuxWV 207 07:49
19. Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ BuxWV 189 01:29

In my introduction to the first two CDs of Buxtehude’s organ works, I explained my division of Buxtehude’s œuvre in two parts: works for organ in mean-tone tuning and works for organ in Werck- meister tuning. I have also adopted this division here.

The beautiful village church in Basedow is home to a 17 th -century three-manual organ (as in Lüdingworth) in meantone tuning. Many chorales and a few plenum pieces sound phenomenal on this colourful instrument, which was very nearly demolished in the days of the GDR and, now fortunately restored, has its own individual sound.

Remarkably, the number of notated or- naments in the organ works of Dieterich Buxtehude is usually very small. But in the chorale settings, most of which have been passed down to us by J.G. Walther in three collections, we see a great many ornaments. These are scorned by modern editors, who notate only a minimum of ornaments, which they ascribe to Walther. As they deem these ‘unauthentic’, they claim they are better omitted. In the Canzonetta, BuxWV 167, we see an example of a short work with many ornaments notated in the original source (in the hand of G. Lindemann, dated 5 March 1713) which we find in a relatively complete state in some modern editions. Far from complete, unfortunately, are the editions of the Prelude in A major, BuxWV 151. In addition to the chorales copied by Walther, these highly ornamented works give us an idea of the harpsichord-like playing of organists in the late 17 th and early 18 th centuries.

It would indeed be too facile to write these off as ‘unauthentic’. One organist’s ornamentation comes easier than that of another; this was as true then as it is today. But beware: ornaments are part and parcel of the language that can enliven the rigid dynamics of the organ. A restored palace without the original decorations and embellishments looks like a monument damaged by fire, one which lacks elegance. Unfortunately, organ music often suffers the same fate.

Ton Koopman