Abendmusiken

Balthasar Erben, born in Danzig in 1626, was a cosmopolitan. When he applied for the position of Kapellmeister at the main church of St. Mary in his home town at the age of 27, the council granted him a generous grant so that he could "look around the world and perfect himself as a composer". Erben was on the road in Europe for five years and visited all the centers of musical culture up to Rome.

In 1656 the new Elector Johann Georg II reorganised musical life, and he attached great importance to the fact that Italians were now active in the decisive positions. Probably the most important of them was Giuseppe Peranda, who was appointed Kapellmeister by the Elector. Together with his colleague Vincenzo Albrici, he also established the new tone in sacred music, characterised by a stronger emphasis on the melodic and above all by a rhythmic liveliness previously unknown in sacred music. The Basler Abendmusiken make audible what caused so much sensation in Dresden at the time.

In 1656 the new Elector Johann Georg II reorganised musical life, and he attached great importance to the fact that Italians were now active in the decisive positions. Probably the most important of them was Giuseppe Peranda, who was appointed Kapellmeister by the Elector. Together with his colleague Vincenzo Albrici, he also established the new tone in sacred music, characterised by a stronger emphasis on the melodic and above all by a rhythmic liveliness previously unknown in sacred music. The Basler Abendmusiken make audible what caused so much sensation in Dresden at the time.

Born in Danzig in 1626, Balthasar Erben was a cosmopolitan. When he applied for the position of Kapellmeister of the main church of St. Marien in his hometown at the age of 27, the council granted him a generous scholarship so that he could "look around the world and perfect himself as a composer". For five years, Erben traveled throughout Europe, visiting all the centres of musical culture of the time, including Rome. His compositional style, which was developed during this time, is correspondingly distinctive: a combination of different influences, cleverly interwoven. The Abendmusiken Basel offer an impressive collection of instrumental and sacred works by the composer who is unfortunately little known today.

Johann Rosenmüller - Sacred Concertos - Abendmusiken Basel (2019) {Coviello Classics COV91927}
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© 2019 Deutschlandradio und Coviello Classics | COV91927
Classical / Baroque / Sacred / Period Instruments

He is certainly one of the composers who were much better known in their time than we think today: Johann Rosenmüller is even described on his epitaph in the Wolfenbüttel St. John’s Church as “Amphion of his century” and “crown of music”. At least in the music of the second half of the 17th century, he left deep marks on his main places of action, Leipzig and Venice.

The Abendmusiken were a legendary concert series organised by Buxtehude in Lübeck. Even Johann Sebastian Bach travelled a long way to attend these concerts of sacred and instrumental music and met the master Dietrich Buxtehude, the most famous organist in Europe. To mark the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation, Vox Luminis and the Ensemble Masques have come together to perform a programme of cantatas (Gott hilf mir, denn das Wasser geht mir bis an die Seele, BuxWV 34 | Befiehl dem Engel, dass er komm, BuxWV 10 | Jesu, meine Freude, BuxWV 60 | Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr, BuxWV 41) and instrumental pieces (Sonatas BuxWV 255 and 261). The recording assembles leading specialists of this repertory, with the expert voices of Vox Luminis combining with the vitality of the instrumentalists of Ensemble Masques.

This CD gives a glimpse into the rich musical world of Dieterich Buxtehude and his contemporaries. These composers were active as Kapellmeisters and wrote music specifically to be performed during the concerts known as Abendmusiken or for various Collegia Musica. They were also associated with the Hamburg or North German School of the seventeenth century.

Dietrich Buxtehude (c. 1637-1707) was a Danish-German composer and organist. He is recognized for bridging Renaissance and Baroque musical traditions, influencing composers such as J.S. Bach and George Frideric Handel. Born in either Helsingborg, Sweden, or Helsingor, Denmark (the exact location remains uncertain), Buxtehude spent much of his career in Lubeck, Germany, where he served as organist at the Marienkirche (St. Mary's Church) from 1668 until his death. As a composer, Buxtehude is recognized for his organ works, including preludes, fugues, and chorale variations. His music blends intricate counterpoint with an expres- sive, almost improvisational character, making him one of the most significant figures in early Baroque music.