Description: | Fancy an evening listening to Buxtehude? If so you are in luck, I am pleased to share with you some of my favourite works today. Starting with this big Praeludium, which is really 2 preludes and 2 fugues, starting with some fireworks. Subsequent uploads will provide the gentler Ciacona in E minor (if you have never heard this, do listen, I think it is an outstanding piece), and then the Passacaglia which builds up to fireworks at the end.
I have chosen Smecno as it is old enough to be a Buxtehude organ (though not quite in the right place), it has a beautiful transparency, a silvery brilliance, and a very nice acoustic. I use the original organ from 1587. Do you like my choice?
These uploads have been the hardest I have ever done. Am I the only one to find him difficult to play? Thinking about why, I think his music is full of surprises, sometimes counter-intuitive and going against the pattern (for example in the opening of this Praeludium, all the triplets point upwards - except that is the ones for the left hand on beat 2 of bar 8 which go in the opposite direction). Unless you concentrate 100% you find you go wrong.
I have not achieved perfection, I have spotted the odd fluffed note here and there, but at some point you have to stop and move on. These are unedited live performances after all.
All feedback welcome, I enjoy seeing discussion about performances. |