Customer Reviews

Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lubeck

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Buxtehude's music remains one of the great pleasures of classical music - thoughtful and rich in melody, filled to overflowing with new ideas and freshness. For several years Kerala Snyder's book has been out of print, and unscrupulous book dealers have demanded exhorbitant prices for used copies. Now reissued it is possible to once again obtain a personal copy.
Although the price is high do not let that hold you back - this is an excellent achievement, and will probably remain the only major book in English on one of the greatest German composers. Highest recommendation.

Bach's 250-mile journey on foot in 1705 from Arnstadt to Lubeck to visit Buxehude is one of the great tales in the history of music. If you've listened to some of Buxtehude's music (see my "Listmania!" list of Buxtehude's vocal music) and would like to learn more about the composer, his life, and his works, this is the one and only place to go. This second edition (published 20 years after the first) commemorates the 300th anniversary of the composer's death. It's reasonably accessible and readable for someone (like myself) who loves music but is not a professional musician. Among other things, it contains a very useful list of all of Buxtehude's compositions.

Paul N. Van de Water

Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lubeck is a serious biography, researched in depth, yet interesting. Little is left to the imagination. Any part of his life that can be supported by scholarly research is present. Readable? yes, as well as provocative. We see a 17th century organist emerge from under his father's tutelage, as well as many other prominent organists, move to Lubeck probably because of the plague in his home town. and become his own accomplished person. His creativity is revealed from the very beginning with innovative fingering as well as many compositions showing great promise. Not everything went his way. We read of his struggles which reveal uncertainty of his future. Yet Buxtehude became well-known sufficiently that the famous J.S. Bach hiked a great distance to meet Buxtehude, to learn from him. Finanally, there's a CD found at the end of the book which demonstrates the many musical genres employed by Buxtehude. The book is also comprehensively documented, though such references are kept in low profile appendices at the end of the book.