Walter Gatti - Buxtehude: The most important organ music (2013)

Denmark composer and organist Dietreich Buxtehude (1637-1707) was a man of broad culture (his hometown Latin school was one of the most prestigious of his times and he came from an highly educated family). His astonishing musical style is mixing bravery and consistency in an alternation between sharp architectures and oasis of peacefulness. Buxtehude’s music is a clear portrait of his times, connecting Sweelinck’s Dutch style with Weckmann’s Italian taste.

Buxtehude made use of these different languages with a smart and independent attitude, is the so called ‘Stylus Phantasticus’ or in other words a way of composing well theorised at the time that prescribes not to stick to any particular rule with the only intention of raising emotional participation in the listeners. What makes great Buxtehude’s productions is the extraordinary control on such a wide diversity of sonic materials. The illusory impression of ‘disorder’ and magmatic extroversion in his music is nothing else than a pradoxical but conscious way of expression.

Tracklist:

01. Toccata in F BuxWV 157 [5:05]
02. Passacaglia in D BuxWV 161 [5:36]
03. Fantasia sul corale “Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ” BuxWV 188 [9:33]
04. Praeludium in Fis, trasposto in G BuxWV 146 [7:42]
05. Fuga in C BuxWV 174 [2:50]
06. Preludio al Corale “Nun komm der Heiden Heiland” BuxWV 211 [1:42]
07. Canzona in C BuxWV 166 [5:13]
08. Praeludium in D BuxWV 140 [6:21]
09. Preludio al Corale “Der Tag, der ist so Freudenreich” BuxWV 182 [4:07]
10. Magnificat primi toni BuxWV 203 [8:03]
11. Preludio al corale “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” BuxWV 184 [3:55]
12. Praeludium, fuga und Ciaccona in C BuxWV 137 [5:52]

Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707) - Composer
Walter Gatti - Organ

Pinolero (Italy), Our Lady of Fatima Parish Catholic Church
(Organ by Dell'Orto & Lanzini, 2011)

Recorded in Pinerolo, Italy, 2013.