Dietrich Buxtehude is probably most familiar to modern
classical music audiences as the man who inspired the
young Johann Sebastian Bach to make a lengthy
pilgrimage to Lubeck, Buxtehude's place of employment
and residence for most of his life, just to hear
Buxtehude play the organ. But Buxtehude was a major
figure among German Baroque composers in his own right.
Though we do not have copies of much of the work that
most impressed his contemporaries, Buxtehude
nonetheless left behind a body of v...(+)
Dietrich Buxtehude is probably most familiar to modern
classical music audiences as the man who inspired the
young Johann Sebastian Bach to make a lengthy
pilgrimage to Lubeck, Buxtehude's place of employment
and residence for most of his life, just to hear
Buxtehude play the organ. But Buxtehude was a major
figure among German Baroque composers in his own right.
Though we do not have copies of much of the work that
most impressed his contemporaries, Buxtehude
nonetheless left behind a body of vocal and
instrumental music which is distinguished by its
contrapuntal skill, devotional atmosphere, and raw
intensity. He helped develop the form of the church
cantata, later perfected by Bach, and he was just as
famous a virtuoso on the organ.
This Praeludium in E major may not be the longest of
the Buxtehude praeludia, but it consists of nine
sections including five bits of free toccata passage
work, and four imitative fugal sections. In this
praeludium only the first two toccata sections are over
10 measures in length, and with the exception of the
first fugue, the imitative sections are also somewhat
brief. This quick alternation between free toccata
passage work and fugal material gives the piece a
strongly kaleidoscopic character. Also the free
material in the toccata sections is as wildly and even
spasmodically rhapsodic as ever. As the first fugue
breaks down into free improvisatory passage work,
Buxtehude approaches the musical approximation of a
brain seizure with his hyper and rambunctious musical
material. Each fugal section is vaguely related, though
not with as tight a motivic connection that can be
found in other Buxtehude praeludia such as BuxWV
140.
I created this Arrangement of the Praeludium (5
Toccatas & 2 Fugues) in E Major (BuxWV 141) Transposed
to F Major for Woodwind Quartet (Flute, Oboe, Bb
Clarinet & Bassoon).