Buxtehude: Toccata in G, BuxWV 165

“As in Vol. 1, Herrick's flair for apposite registration illuminate at every turn, and the first three notes of the opening G minor Praeludium serve notice that his phrasing will be nothing if not fastidious. …he lets the music (and instrument) speak eloquently for themselves - charmingly fluty in the C major Canzona, unexpectedly perky at the start of the E minor Ciaccona and sonorously splendiferous for the final Praeludium in C.” BBC Music Magazine, February 2010 ****

“…Herrick brings a convincing sense of fluidity and a quasi-extemporaneous flair to the music… The recorded sound is ideal with traffic rumble minimised. Another triumph!” Gramophone Magazine, February 2010

“The ambitious 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, 17th January 2010

“Performing on two copies of Stefanini and Ruckers harpsichords, Ton Koopman completes the exquisite solo oeuvre by Buxtehude with captivating élan. For a musician with somewhat precipitous tendencies, Koopman here delivers a considered programme of mainly standard four-movement suites, interpolated with other contemporaneous genres, from variations to the flamboyance of the 'stylus phantasticus' of toccatas and the like.
Koopman's most significant achievement is the poetry he brings to Buxtehude's cultivated and understated world of pre-Telemann domestic music. This is where the Suites appear as the apogee of a tradition which Froberger honed and which Bach extended in his early works.
Indeed, keen ears will notice the prescient melodic seeds of the English Suites and, more specifically, the Canzona in C whose turns perhaps inspired the ambitious young Turk in the Capriccio in E (BWV993).
That aside, witness the sheer richness of Buxtehude's luminous textures, as well as the finely drawn and grateful melodic contours. The opening Aria in C (with 10 variations) reveals the warmth of both Buxtehude's hypnotically life-affirming variations and Koopman's concentrated placement and esprit.
Within such compositional calibre and refinement, Koopman also explores a steeliness in the investigative lines of the fine C major Suite which concludes the first disc; as throughout, the tempo relationships between movements are thoughtfully rendered, with the 'gamey' meantone tuning and elegant characterisation all conspiring towards a notable 'world premiere' set of harpsichord recordings. In sum, an outstanding release in this enterprising series.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“Ton Koopman completes the exquisite solo oeuvre by Buxtehude with captivating élan. Witness the sheer richness of Buxtehude's luminous textures, as well as the finely drawn and grateful melodic contours.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2008

“The lion's share of Naxos's ongoing Buxtehude series has fallen to Julia Brown whose ace is the marvellous new Pasi instrument in St Cecilia's Omaha. Compared to Koopman's 'bling' her playing is disciplined and overly stylish.” BBC Music Magazine, February 2008 ***

Penguin Guide 3 Stars

“here we have an Italian eager to touch base with his inner Teuton, as Stella sets well-ordered lucidity above unfettered flamboyance. Indeed, he sometimes misses the edgy danger Koopman brings to Buxtehude's boldest strokes, but he's an unfailingly intelligent and revealing guide to a body of work that cries out to be better known.” BBC Music Magazine, August 2012 ****