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Track(s) taken from CDA67809

Toccata in D minor, BuxWV155

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: 7 minutes 46 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 Toccata in D minor, BuxWV155, has the form of a praeludium, dramatic improvisatory passages alternating with polyphonic ones. Here, though, the first of the polyphonic sections is a kind of double fugue, its subject never heard without its counter-subject; and the second is a species of triple fugue, its subject invariably heard with two counter-subjects. This second subject includes a four-note figure comprising three semiquavers followed by a crotchet: Buxtehude gradually develops it, and by bar 100 it has begun to dominate the work. Its manifestation in the athletic pedal passages from bar 115 onwards provides a remarkable anticipation of J S Bach’s Toccata in F major, BWV540. Listening to the splendidly rhythmical music of bars 108–121, it is very hard to think that Bach did not know this work.

from notes by Relf Clark © 2010

La Toccata en ré mineur, BuxWV155, a la forme d’un praeludium, de saisissants passages à l’improvisade alternant avec des épisodes polyphoniques. Ici, toutefois, la première section polyphonique fait une sorte de double fugue, dont le sujet n’est jamais entendu sans son contre-sujet; la section suivante est, elle, une espèce de triple fugue au sujet invariablement entendu avec deux contre-sujets; ce second sujet comprend une figure de quatre notes (comptant trois doubles croches suivies d’une noire) que Buxtehude développe—à la mesure 100, elle domine déjà un peu l’œuvre. Sa manifestation dans les vigoureux passages de pédale, à partir de la mesure 115, préfigure remarquablement la Toccata en fa majeur, BWV540 de Bach. En écoutant les mesures 108–121, superbement rythmiques, on peine vraiment à croire que Bach ne connaissait pas cette œuvre.

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

Die Toccata in d-Moll, BuxWV155, hat die Form eines Praeludiums, in dem sich improvisatorische Passagen mit polyphonen abwechseln. Der erste polyphone Abschnitt ist eine Art Doppelfuge, deren Thema nie ohne sein Kontrasubjekt zu hören ist; der zweite eine Art Tripelfuge, deren Thema stets mit zwei Kontrasubjekten zu hören ist. Dieses zweite Thema enthält eine viernotige Figur, die aus drei Sechzehnteln mit einer folgenden Viertelnote besteht: Buxtehude entwickelt diese nach und nach, und ab Takt 100 dominiert sie das Werk. Ihre Manifestation in der athletischen Pedalpassage ab Takt 115 ist eine erstaunliche Antizipation von J. S. Bachs Toccata in F-Dur, BWV540. Beim Anhören der herrlich rhythmischen Musik der Takte 108–121 kann man sich kaum vorstellen, dass Bach dieses Werk nicht kannte.

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

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