Customer Reviews

Buxtehude: Organ Music, Vol. 4

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This is Vol. 4 of Organ Music of Dietrich Duxtehude (c. 1637-107). There are presently 7 volumne of this "Organ Encyclopedia", presenting a variety of world-class organists, performing on WORLD CLASS instruments! The whole series is produced, engineered, and editd by Wolfgang Rubsam, former Professor of Church Music and Organ at Northwestern University, and University Organist at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel at the University of Chicago. These recordings are sonic wonders, performed on instruments perfectly suited to this period and style of German organ music. The organs tend to be not more than a few feet deep, with their pipes spread out over a much wider area, allowing for clearer perception of the whole organ sound. Stunning! Bring on the rest!

Dieterich Buxtehude is probably best known as the organist who had tremendous influence on J.S. Bach. In fact, Buxtehude's 'Tocatta in d minor' (included as the final track on this disc) bears some similarity to Bach's own 'Toccata and Fugue in d minor'.

The majority of the pieces on this disc are merely pleasant church music. Only one or two tracks are downright showstoppers of virtuosity.

If your stereo system is merely 'adequate', the CD will sound merely 'adequate.' However, if you have a high quality stereo system, that pipe organ will really knock you off your feet (especially those rumbling bass tones.)