Dieterich Buxtehude & the Mean-Tone Organ 1

"Remarkable mastery and calm, and, it must be said, one hears all the agogic freedom which is the true essence of the music of these creators." --Magazine de l'orgue [on Davidsson's recording Eastman Italian Baroque Organ]

All of Buxtehude's most popular organ works in one definitive recording! This first of three double CDs of the complete organ works of Buxtehude celebrates the 300th anniversary of Buxtehude's death. Volume one focuses on Buxtehude's best-known works. Recent research shows that Buxtehude had only mean-tone organs at his disposal during his life. Although there are many good recordings on well-tempered organs (including some antiques), performing these works on mean-tone instruments requires both a radical re-assessment of traditional performance ideas and a large and extraordinary organ. Hans Davidsson is the ideal performer for this task, and he plays the huge "North German Baroque Organ" of Gothenburg, Sweden (pictured on the CD cover). Hans Davidsson is simultaneously Professor of Music at the Eastman School and the North German Organ Academy. His work in the field of organology and music performance has earned him The King's Medal, the highest national award in Sweden. He is one of the youngest to have ever received this award. Recorded by Erik Sikkema using proprietary Ultra Linear Stereo Image (ULSI) and twenty-four-bit technology. Extensive program notes, including an introduction by noted Buxtehude scholar Kerala Synder.