Dietrich Buxtehude Sacred Cantatas

Dietrich Buxtehude Sacred Cantatas Collegium AD MOSAM, Huub Ehlen 1. Jesu meines Lebens Leben (BuxWV 62) 06:31 2. Befiehl dem Engel, daß er komm (BuxWV 10) 05:08 3. Fürwahr, er trug unsere Krankheit (BuxWV 31) 10:13 4. Gott, hilf mir (BuxWV 34) 14:32 5. Der Herr ist mit mir (BuxWV 15) 07:09 6. Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr (BuxWV 41) 18:17 TOTAL 61:51 Collegium AD MOSAM Huub Ehlen Soloists: Soprano 1 Hannah Morrison (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Soprano 2 Hayat Chaoui (1, 3, 4, 6) Alto Hanna Kopra (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Tenor Immo Schröder (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Basses Michiel Meijer (1, 3, 4, 6) Benoît Giaux (2, 4, 5, 6) Choir: Soprano 1 Beppie Boode Soprano 2 Anita Koolen Alto Mireille Hoogenberk-Rooijmans Tenors Jan Berkers, Hans Timmermans Basses Jo Louppen, Wim Reijnders Orchestra: Trumpets Anna Freeman, Ralph Henssen (6) Violins Andreas Hempel, Heidi Erberich (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Violas Arjen de Graaf, Marie Haag (1, 4, 6) Gambas Maaike Boekholt, Christian Zincke (3) Violone Hendrik-Jan Wolfert (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Theorbo Michael Dücker (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Organ Tineke Steenbrink (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 3 Dietrich Buxtehude – Sacred Cantatas Dietrich (Diederik) Buxtehude (Oldesloe 1637 – Lübeck 1707) came from a respectable Danish family of organists. He must have received his initial musical training from his father Johannes, for 30 years organist at the Saint Olau Church in Helsingor. After his study in Copenhagen – we know very little of his musical education – he should, by tradition, have succeeded his father in Helsingor, but it seems the young man had greater ambition. In 1668 he was appointed successor to Franz Tunder at the Marienkirche in Lübeck, a wealthy Hanseatic League city with an exceptional musical infrastructure. Alongside organist, he was also Werkmeister, an administrative church post that included responsibility for training organists and the organisation and direction of secular concerts, but stopped short of direct- ing the larger choral performances in the church – a task that belonged to the Cantor. The secular concerts had existed during Tunder’s period, and became a Lübeck tradition, thanks to the traders. Buxtehude also ran the Abendmusiken (Evening Music), and moved the Abendspiele (Evening Playing) to Sunday. He had more faith in the generosity of the wealthy burgers than the travelling merchants. The post of Werkmeister in Lübeck was one of the most important functions in all North German church music, and Buxtehude was well known while he was alive, famous not only for his organ-playing (his improv- isations were legendary), but also for his composing. He was remembered only as an organist 25 years after his death, and almost forgotten 25 years later still. It seems that, once appointed, he never left the post at Lübeck. He held a great attraction for young musicians, including Mattheson and Händel, and we all know that Johann Sebastian Bach gained much from the great master: against all the rules, he managed to extend a study trip to Lübeck to four months. The result is unmistakenly recognisable in some of his cantatas, as, for example, in the fragile opening sonata of the Actus Tragicus (BWV 106), but also in the larger, celebratory works. The works in this recording are some of the most beautiful examples of Buxehude’s multi-voice compo- sitions. The aria Jesu meines Lebens Leben (“Jesu, life of my life”) opens with a lovely sinfonia, followed by variations on a 2-bar ostinato bass, possibly symbolising “tausendmal Dank” (“A thousand thanks”). The instrumental ritornelli differ markedly in their rhythmic density from the vocal texts, suggesting a sort of commentary. Words such as “Dornen” (“thorns”) and “herben, bittern Tod” (“cruel, bitter death”) are expressively illustrated with subtle harmonic colours. A composed acceleration at the repetition of the text and ritornelli leads into the polyphonic Amen. Befiehl dem Engel, daß er komm (“The angel was pleased with his coming”) is a work charming in its simplicity. In the first section, after a stirring instrumental introduction, the four solo voices are various- ly imitated by the two violins, which lead the piece just as energetically to its end. The calm middle section is broadly set, and here, too, the violins imitate the singers. This piece ends with a polyphonic Amen full of extravert hemiola rhythms. 4 Fürwahr, er trug unsere Krankheit (”Verily, he bore our sickness”) (Isaiah 53: 4-5) is an impressive cantata. Hopeful concern about final salvation is illustrated in masterly fashion during the introductory sinfonia. Time seems to stand still, and Buxtehude wrong-foots us rhythmically more than once. When the bass begins to sing, it seems the voice of a prophet. This is followed by solo voices of varying number set stroph- ically to the text “Wir aber hielten ihn…”, which leads into a breathtaking chorus of viols playing tremolo (“geplaget”, “plagued”). The atmosphere changes again when the second soprano makes her highly personal confession. Buxtehude couples this to a splendid modulation. After “die Straf” (“the punishment”) – represented by a trill – the work ends with a reassuring final chorus. Hope and fear are simply but effectively represented in the instrumental opening of Gott, hilf mir (“Lord, help me”) by waves of aimless scale figures. The opening text “Gott, hilf mir” rises from a desolate tremolando murmur, with sinister-sounding dissonances, in the violins. The struggle to be free from the “tiefen Schlamm” (“deep mud”) is dramatically portrayed by parallel fourths in the two violins. A reassuring dialogue with the choir follows (“Fürchte dich nicht”, “Be not afraid”). The second choral motet is an inventive piece of composition: unison strings play the choral “Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott” within the setting. The final release takes the form of an expansive homophonic ending. The cantata Der Herr ist mit mir (“The Lord is with me”) is a series of variations on a summary text (Psalm 118, vv 6-7). In this carefree coloratura even a word such as “fürchte” (“be afraid”) presents the invulnera- bility of the faithful as a given. The homophonic sections on “Was können mir Menschen tun?” show just as clearly how simple and effective Buxtehude’s expression can be. The cantata ends with a remarkable cha- conne (Alleluia), a model representation of joy. The choral cantata Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr (“My love for thee is heartfelt, O Lord”) comprises three verses. The first, for soprano, has an atmosphere of personal conviction, due, in part, to its harmony. In the second verse, polyphonic passages with an individual character alternate with more collective homophonic sections, the voices imitating each other continually. The colour of the dissonant second is noteworthy in “Behüt mich, Herr, vor falscher Lehr” (“Protect me, Lord, from false learning”). The opening of the third verse is full of warmth as the angels that protect us in death sing. When eternal rest is portrayed, Buxtehude seems to stop time again, only to resume with renewed energy at “Als dann vom Tod erwecke mich” (“Then awak- en me from death”). The work ends with a complex Amen based on polyphonic hemiola rhythms. Huub Ehlen (Translation: Will Wroth) 5 Dietrich Buxtehude – Geistliche Kantaten Dietrich (Diederick) Buxtehude (Oldesloe 1637 – Lübeck 1707) kam aus einer respektablen dänischen Organistenfamilie. Seinen ersten Musikunterricht hat er sicherlich bei seinem Vater Johannes erhalten, der dreißig Jahre lang die Organistenstelle an der St.-Olau-Kirche in Helsingör innehatte. Nach seinen Studien in Kopenhagen (über seine weitere musikalische Ausbildung wissen wir nichts) hätte er gemäß der Tradition seinem Vater in Helsingör nachfolgen müssen. Aber offenbar hatte der junge Dietrich grö- ßeres vor. Im Jahre 1668 wird er als Nachfolger von Franz Tunder an der Marienkirche in Lübeck nomi- niert, einer reichen Hansestadt mit einer außerordentlichen Musikkultur. Seine Anstellung umfasste auch die Funktion des Werkmeisters, mit der er zugleich die kirchliche Verwaltung innehatte und für die Organistenausbildung sowie die Organisation und Leitung weltlicher Konzerte verantwortlich war. Er war jedoch nicht für die Leitung größerer vokaler Darbietungen in der Kirche zuständig, diese oblag beim Kantor. Die weltlichen Konzerte bestanden schon zu Zeiten seines Vorgängers Tunder und konnten dank der Kaufleute eine Lübecker Tradition werden. Buxtehude führte daneben die Abendmusiken ein und verlegte die Abendspiele auf den Sonntag. Er setzte mehr auf die freigiebigen Spenden der reichen Bürger als auf den Geldbeutel der reisenden Kaufleute. Das Amt des Werkmeisters in Lübeck war eine der wichtigsten Funktionen in der norddeutschen Kirchenmusik. Buxtehude war zu seinen Lebzeiten ein berühmter Mann, nicht nur als Organist (seine Improvisationen waren legendär), sondern auch als Komponist. Doch 25 Jahre nach seinem Tod war er nur noch als Organist bekannt, und weitere 25 Jahre später fast vergessen. Nach seiner Anstellung an der Marienkirche hat er Lübeck wahrscheinlich nicht mehr verlassen, übte jedoch eine große Anziehungskraft auf viele junge Musiker aus, z.B. auf Mattheson und Händel. Wir wissen auch, dass Johann Sebastian Bach viel bei diesem Meister gelernt hat. Entgegen aller Gebote hatte er es geschafft, seine Studienreise nach Lübeck auf vier Monate auszudehnen. Die Früchte davon kön- nen wir in einigen seiner Kantaten unverkennbar hören, so z.B. in der sensiblen Eröffnungssonata des Actus Tragicus (BWV 106), aber auch in seinen größeren festlichen Kantaten. Die auf dieser CD vorgestellten Werke gehören zu den schönsten Beispielen von Buxtehudes mehrstim- migen Vokalkompositionen. Die Aria Jesu meines Lebens Leben beginnt mit einer prächtigen Sinfonia, gefolgt von einer Variation über einen ostinaten Bass von zwei Takten, vielleicht dem Textabschnitt “tausendmal Dank” Ausdruck gebend. Die instrumentalen Ritornelle unterscheiden sich mit ihrer rhythmischen Verdichtung auffal- lend von den vokalen Textteilen, wodurch der Eindruck von Kommentaren entsteht.

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