Alvus tumescit virginis - Hymnus in adventu domini

Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) - the German composer, organist, concertmaster and scholar, decisively influenced and shaped the musical transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque.
His personality was shaped by the Lutheran spirit of his parental home. The ducal court in Wolfenbüttel was the center of his artistic life. However, he also worked as an advisor at courts from Dresden to Copenhagen and visited Prague, Regensburg, Nuremberg and Kassel as a musician. He was well aware of musical developments in England, France and Italy.
His 3 extensive volumes of musical teachings 'Syntagma musicum' and the 9 volumes of sacred music 'Musae Sioniae' are of inestimable value. The latter contains the well-known Christmas carol 'Lo, how a rose e'er blooming' as well as 6 hymns for organ. I recorded the Advent hymn 'Alvus tumescit Virginis' with the sample set of the organ in Norrfjärden (SE), a replica of the organ of the German Church in Stockholm (Paul Müller, 1608).
The dominance of the Cantus Firmus in the pedal is based on the wide variety of sounds of the 'snares' Krummhorn 8', Dulcian 8'/16' as well as Quintadena 8', Oktavbass 4' and Flöten 2'/4'. After listening to it several times, the impression is that of ancient pilgrimage and processional music, which not only had Mary walk through the 'thorn forest' in safety but also accompanied her on the understandably arduous journey to Bethlehem. The underlying text is the wonderful, expectant 3rd verse of 'Veni redemptor gentium':
'The virgin womb that burden gained
With virgin honor all unstained;
The banners there of virtue glow;
God in His temple dwells below.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlMnWxAPkng
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