Customer Reviews

Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck: The Complete Keyboard Works

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sweelinck was older than Bach. His music is less intricate and eerie otherworldy than the music of Bach, but it makes up for that with its freshness and joyfullness! This definite collection is fantastic with many spirited perfomances. This music has a beauty and value in itself which far outweighs its academic interest as a precursor to Bach.
The CDs are accompanied by a real book describing the music, the composer and his place in time and space, and the organs used for this recording.

After hearing Glenn Gould superbly interpret one of Sweelinck's fantasias on the piano I instantly had to get more Sweelinck. This Fantasy which introduced me to the Master must be one of the most magical and monumental Fantasias ever written. It is perhaps one of the most perfect examples of past medieval sounds, renaissance textures, combined with novel contrapuntal writing. In fact it perfectly looks foward to J.S Bach. I have made it a musical quest to discover and interpret some of Sweelinck's works on the modern piano. I enjoy much music, but Sweelinck, Bach, Bruckner, are the Composers I have dedicated most of my musical energies toward. I happily look foward to a lifetime of enjoyment, study and appreciation of the lives and works of these Masters.

As for the box set it excells in many respects, and the performers with the many euphonious sounding organs play suberbly throughout (this is highly virtuostic keyboard music). The sound quality is in no way lacking and the liner notes are highly informative and thorough.

If you are a lover of the Greatest in Musical Art then this collection will not disappoint.