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Track(s) taken from CDA67809

Ciaccona in E minor, BuxWV160

composer

Christopher Herrick (organ)
Recording details: January 2009
Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, Norway
Produced by Paul Spicer
Engineered by Simon Eadon & Sean Lewis
Release date: January 2010
Total duration: 4 minutes 35 seconds

Cover artwork: Church interior, with people at prayer in the foreground and a small procession in the main aisle. Bartolomeus van Bassen (c1590-1652)
Johnny van Haeften Gallery, London / Bridgeman Images
 

Reviews

‘The magnificent 1741 Wagner organ in Trondheim's Nidaros Cathedral. In possession of some pugnacious reeds and a thrilling 'pleno', it's an ideal choice for a disc which includes some big-boned praeludia as well as Buxtehude's most extended organ work: the imposing Fantasia on the Te Deum whose architectural acuity Herrick unfolds with magisterial authority … Herrick's flair for apposite registration illuminates at every turn … sonorously splendiferous’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘The ambitions Te Deum and the grand Praeludium in C major confirm Buxtehude's inspiring originality. No wonder the young Bach once walked 200 miles to hear him play’ (The Observer)
The Ciaccona in E minor, BuxWV160, is one of Buxtehude’s three ostinato works for organ, the others being the Ciaccona in C minor and the Passacaglia in D minor. Over the steady repetitions of a simple four-bar ground, quavers gradually give way to semiquavers, and at bar 41 the pedals drop out and the ground is varied rhythmically. The music becomes increasingly fantastic in character and almost suggests that, having grown tired of his chosen form, Buxtehude has strayed into free improvisation; but examination of the score reveals that the ground is ingeniously present throughout.

from notes by Relf Clark © 2010

La Chaconne en mi mineur, BuxWV160, est l’une des trois œuvres organistiques en ostinato de Buxtehude, les deux autres étant la Chaconne en ut mineur et la Passacaille en ré mineur. Par-dessus les constantes répétitions d’une simple basse contrainte de quatre mesures, des croches cèdent peu à peu la place à des doubles croches et, à la mesure 41, les pédales se retirent tandis que la basse contrainte est variée rythmiquement. La musique prend une tournure de plus en plus fantastique, presque comme si, las de la forme d’abord choisie, Buxtehude en était venu à l’improvisation libre; mais à examiner la partition, on constate que la basse est ingénieusement présente tout du long.

extrait des notes rédigées par Relf Clark © 2010
Français: Hypérion

Die Ciaccona in e-Moll, BuxWV160, ist eines der drei Ostinatowerke Buxtehudes für Orgel; die beiden anderen sind die Ciaconna in c-Moll und die Passacaglia in d-Moll. Über soliden Wiederholungen eines viertaktigen Ostinatos weichen Achtel allmählich Sechzehnteln, in Takt 41 setzt das Pedal aus und das Ostinato wird rhythmisch variiert. Die Musik wird im Charakter nach und nach phantastischer und scheint fast nahe zu legen, dass Buxtehude seiner gewählten Form müde geworden und in freie Improvisation ausgebrochen war. Eine Untersuchung der Partitur zeigt aber, dass das Ostinato durchweg genial präsent ist.

aus dem Begleittext von Relf Clark © 2010
Deutsch: Renate Wendel

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