Dietrich Buxtehude 1637-1707

In 1705 J.S. Bach made a famous two-hundred-mile pilgrimage. He walked on foot from Arnstadt to the city of Lübeck to learn from the aging organist Dietrich Buxtehude and it is clear that Bach admired much of the music written by the senior composer. Our CD recording “The Buxtehude Super Concert” presents music by Buxtehude in many different genres: Choral music, keyboard music and sonatas for solo instruments with continuo.

Kyrie from Missa Brevis

This hauntingly beautiful five – voice piece is a masterful example of Buxtehudes control over the old fashioned art of counterpoint. In the three sections of this Kyrie, Buxtehude weaves the voices into a seamless web of counterpoint illustrating this penitent text:

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy

Sonatas BuxWV 267 and 268

This recording presents a rare chance to hear Buxtehude’s sonatas for viola da gamba, and we believe we may be presenting the first ever recording of the duo sonata for viola da gamba and violone. Gambists Justin Haynes and Joelle Morton give a spirited performance of these rarely heard works. You can read about Joelle on her own concert series website at www.scaramella.ca

Magnificat

This lively setting of Mary’s Song is punctuated by ritornellos played by a quintet of string players with continuo accompaniment. The text describes Mary’s amazement as she realizes she is going to give birth to the long awaited Messiah:

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has regarded the low estate
of his handmaiden.
For behold, henceforth all generations
will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great
things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on those who fear
him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm,
he has scattered the proud in the
imagination of their hearts,
He has put down the mighty from
their thrones, and exalted those of low degree;
he has filled the hungry with good
things, and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his posterity forever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be.
World with out end,
Amen

Harpsichord Suite

Buxtehude’s nineteen suites for harpsichord were perfect models of simplicity and clarity of form. His suites are all very similar in that, with only a few exceptions, each of the suites has only four movements: Allemande, Courante, Sarabande and Gigue. The dance suites by Bach which bare the most resemblance to these succinct collections are his French suites, all of which contain Buxtehude’s basic movements, with some added Menuets, Gavottes and Bourées. Aside from this resemblance of overall form, Buxtehude and Bach were both taken with a particular texture of keyboard writing called style brisé also used by earlier composers like Jakob Johann Froberger (1616-1667) and Kuhnau (1660-1722) Bach’s immediate predecessor at the Thomas Kirche in Leipzig. The performer is Stephanie Martin, Artistic Director of Pax Christi Chorale www.paxchristichorale.org and Director of Music at The Church of Saint Mary Magdalene www.stmarymagdalene.ca and faculty member at York University www.yorku.ca/stmartin .

Ciacona

This work for solo organ is performed by Bruce Hill, organist of Christ Church Deer Park in Toronto, www.christchurchdeerpark.org. Bruce performs on the baroque-style tracker organ built by the Canadian organ builder, Karl Wilhelm. The composition is based on a theme in the pedals which is played over and over again. Over this ostinato, the manuals spin out ever more complex variations.

Ein Feste Burg

We present Buxtehude’s solo organ setting of this most famous of Luther’s chorales and then an arrangement for instruments and the full choir. The text speaks of God’s strength and comfort, even in trying times:

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God's truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.