Buxtehude: Cantatas & Sonatas

Le Concert Brisé; William Dongois. cornett & direction

Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
Cantatas: Quemadmodum desiderat cervus BuxWV 92 - O Gottes Stadt BuxWV 87 - O clemens, o mitis, o coelestis Pater BuxWV 82 - Klag-Lied "Muß der Tod denn auch entbinden" BuxWV 76b - Lauda anima mea BuxWV 67
Sonatas: Sonate in F major BuxWV 269 - Sonate in G minor op. 2 Nr. 3 BuxWV 261 - Sonate a tre in G major BuxWV 271

The music of Dieterich Buxtehude represents the final flowering phase of the spirited musical style generally known as »stylus phantasticus«. As the organist of St Mary's Church in Lübeck, Buxtehude was able to further the tradition of "Abendmusiken", the first series of public sacred concerts to be held in Germany. The cornett virtuoso William Dongois together with his ensemble Le Concert Brisé and the Czech soprano Dagmar Saskova have compiled a selection of outstanding examples from Buxtehude's vocal and instrumental music: settings of Latin Bible texts and ariosa-style works based on German sacred hymns alternate with instrumental sonatas.
The recording is given a special "North German" colouring through the use of a wide range of historical wind instruments such as Baroque trombone and dulcian alongside the cornett and the violin. This highly varied programme admirably showcases the virtuosity of the ensemble and the soprano Dagmar Saskova with her clear and slender voice in alternation with concertante instruments (such as "Quemadmodum desiderat cervus"), but also provides sufficient space for more solemn ceremonial pieces (such as "Muß der Tod denn auch entbinden").

Price: $27.98