557251bk Buxtehude US 4/1/07 11:37 am Page 8 Dietrich BUXTEHUDE Vocal Music • 1 Emma Kirkby, Soprano John Holloway and Manfred Kraemer, Violins Jaap ter Linden, Viola da gamba Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Harpsichord and Organ 8.557251 8 557251bk Buxtehude US 4/1/07 11:37 am Page 2 Dietrich Buxtehude (1637–1707) Jaap ter Linden Vocal Music • 1 The cello and gamba soloist Jaap ter Linden is one of the best-known baroque musicians in Europe. As one of the first specialists in this field he played a central rôle in establishing many of the baroque ensembles now active on Dietrich Buxtehude was probably born in 1637 in the was formally appointed the following April. This was a the international music scene. After completing his studies Jaap ter Linden founded Musica da Camera together with Danish town of Helsingborg, now part of Sweden. His much more prestigious and well-paid position than the the Dutch harpsichordist Ton Koopman. Later he played with Musica Antiqua Köln, the English Concert, and also father Johannes (Hans), also an organist, had one he had held in Helsingør; Buxtehude was the most the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. He has made many recordings with these ensembles and with other leading immigrated to Denmark from Oldesloe, in Holstein and highly paid musician in Lübeck, and he earned nearly as baroque musicians such as René Jacobs, Gustav Leonhardt, Peter Schreier, and Ton Koopman. He teaches at the in 1641 was employed as the organist at St Mary’s much as the pastor of St Mary’s. On 23rd July 1668 he Conservatories of Music in the Hague and Amsterdam and at the Conservatoire de Genève, and gives courses and Church, Helsingborg. Soon after that he moved across swore the oath of citizenship, enabling him to marry master-classes all over Europe. He appears regularly as a chamber musician with Ronald Brautigam, John Holloway, the Øresund to become organist of St Olai Church in Anna Margaretha Tunder, a daughter of his predecessor. Lars Ulrik Mortensen and Alexei Lubimov. He is also a well-known interpreter of J.S. Bach’s suites for solo cello. Helsingør. The exact date of Dietrich’s birth is Seven daughters were born into the family of Dietrich As a conductor Jaap ter Linden has worked with orchestras such as the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, the Portland unknown, but at the time of his death on 9th May, 1707, and Anna Margaretha Buxtehude and baptized at St Baroque Ensemble, the European Community Baroque Orchestra, and Concerto Copenhagen. he was said to be about seventy years old. As a child in Mary’s. Three died in infancy, a fourth survived to early Helsingør, Dietrich Buxtehude must have been aware of adulthood, and three remained in the household at the Lars Ulrik Mortensen both his German heritage and his Danish surroundings, time of Buxtehude’s death. Lars Ulrik Mortensen studied at the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen and with Trevor Pinnock in London. and he appears to have grown up bilingual. In Helsingør As organist of St Mary’s, Buxtehude’s chief From 1988 to 1990 he was harpsichordist with London Baroque and until 1993 with Collegium Musicum 90. He and during his early years in Lübeck, he normally responsibility lay in playing the organ for the main now works extensively as a soloist and chamber-musician in Europe, the United States, Mexico, South America, and spelled his name “Diderich”, but later he regularly morning and afternoon services on Sundays and feast Japan, performing regularly with distinguished colleagues such as Emma Kirkby, John Holloway and Jaap ter signed it “Dieterich” or “Dietericus”. days. He also held the position of Werkmeister of St Linden. Between 1996 and 1999 he was professor for harpsichord and performance practice at the Munich The knowledge of Latin that Buxtehude displayed in Mary’s, the administrator and treasurer of the church, a Musikhochschule, and he now teaches at numerous early music courses throughout the world. Until recently Lars later life indicates that he must have attended a Latin position of considerable responsibility and prestige. The Ulrik Mortensen was also active as a conductor in Sweden and Denmark, where his activities at the Royal Theatre school as a boy. Although he undoubtedly began his account books that he kept in this capacity document the in Copenhagen met with great critical acclaim, although he has now returned to work primarily with period organ studies with his father, further information life of the church and its music in considerable detail. instrument ensembles. Since 1999 he has been artistic director of the Danish Baroque Orchestra, Concerto concerning his teachers is totally lacking. In late 1657 or The cantor of St Mary’s, also a teacher at the Copenhagen, and in 2004 he succeeded Roy Goodman as musical director of the European Union Baroque early 1658, he assumed the position his father had once Catharineum, held the responsibility for providing the Orchestra. He has recorded extensively for numerous labels, and his recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations was held as organist of St Mary’s Church, Helsingborg. He liturgical music, using his school choir of men and boys. awarded the French Diapason d’Or. The series of Buxtehude recordings from the 1990s for the Danish Dacapo label worked there until October, 1660, when he became They performed together with most of the Lübeck met with universal acclaim, and recordings of chamber music and cantatas by Buxtehude have won Danish Grammy organist of St Mary’s, Helsingør, called the German municipal musicians from a large choir loft in the front awards, among other honours. In 2000 he was named Danish Musician of the Year for his recordings of harpsichord church because it served foreigners of the community of the church, over the rood screen. Two municipal music by Buxtehude, which also received the Cannes Classical Award 2001. As a conductor his recordings include and the military garrison of Kronborg. In Helsingør musicians, a violinist and a lutenist, regularly performed releases of harpsichord concertos by Bach and piano concertos by Haydn, in addition to symphonies by the Danish Buxtehude was expected to play at the beginning of the with Buxtehude from the large organ. composers J.E. Hartmann, F.L.A.E. Kunzen and G. Gerson. Lars Ulrik Mortensen has received a number of prizes service; he and the cantor were to provide instrumental Buxtehude inherited a tradition established by Franz and distinctions, among them the Danish Music Critics’ Award in 1984 and in 2007 Denmark’s most prestigious and vocal music for the church on feast days and at other Tunder of performing concerts from the large organ of music award, the Léonie Sonning Music Prize. times at the pastor’s request. St Mary’s at the request of the business community. The position of organist and Werkmeister at St Tunder had gradually added vocalists and Mary’s, Lübeck, became vacant upon the death of Franz instrumentalists to his organ performances, which are Tunder on 5th November 1667, and Dietrich Buxtehude said to have taken place on Thursdays prior to the 8.557251 2 7 8.557251 557251bk Buxtehude US 4/1/07 11:37 am Page 6 Emma Kirkby opening of the stock exchange. Within a year of his states unambiguously that its purpose was to hear Emma Kirkby had originally no intention of becoming a professional singer. She read Classics at Oxford and was a arrival in Lübeck, Buxtehude had greatly expanded the Buxtehude play the organ, and in his report to the schoolteacher for a while, but after a period as a member of various choirs and small ensembles mainly specialising possibilities for the performance of concerted music Arnstadt consistory upon his return the following in Renaissance and Baroque music she joined The Taverner Choir, and two years later began her long-lasting from the large organ by having two new balconies February, Bach stated that he had made the trip “in order association with The Consort of Musicke. She took part in the early Florilegium recordings with The Consort of installed at the west end of the church, each paid for by to comprehend one thing and another about his art”. Musicke and The Academy of Ancient Music, and working here with original instruments became aware of the need a single donor. These new balconies, together with the Buxtehude died on 9th May 1707 and was succeeded by to develop a new kind of vocal tone; this problem she had to solve herself with the help of Jessica Cash in London four that were already there, could accommodate about Johann Christian Schieferdecker, who duly married and various early music specialists, including instrumentalists and conductors as well as fellow-singers. Emma forty singers and instrumentalists. Buxtehude called his Anna Margreta on 5th September 1707. Kirkby has more than a hundred recordings to her name. They range from the sequences of Hildegard of Bingen to concerts Abendmusiken and changed the time of their Although Buxtehude never held a position that Italian and English madrigals, Baroque cantatas and oratorios, and works by Mozart and Haydn. Her preferred presentation to Sundays after vespers. In time these required him to compose vocal music, he left over 120 platform is still in live performance with groups such as Britain’s London Baroque, the Orchestra of the Age of concerts took place regularly on the last two Sundays of vocal works in an extremely wide range of texts, Enlightenment, Fretwork, and Florilegium, Canada’s Tafelmusik, and continental colleagues, including Concerto Trinity and the second, third and fourth Sundays of scorings, genres, compositional styles, and length.