Bruhns: Chorale Fantasia on 'Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland'

Pierre Bardon performs on the historical organs of the Basilique du Couvent Royal de Saint-Maximin.

Organist Peter Kofler performs the works of JS Bach, Bruhns, CPE Bach, Mendelssohn, Dupre and Widor on this recording played on the organ of the Jesuitenkirche St Michael zu Munich.

Joseph Keleman presents his third album in his series of recordings on historic organs focusing on the North German school of organ-playing. Keleman invariably chooses instruments linked as closely as possible with the respective composer.

This is the tenth recording in the outstanding series of the complete works of Dieterich Buxtehude by Ton Koopman and the fifth and final part of the organ works. It presents a selection which contains the remainder of Buxtehude’s organ works of the two major categories, free and chorale-based compositions, alongside the complete organ works of Nicolaus Bruhns (1665-1697). Bruhns was Buxtehude’s most gifted pupil and was an important figure in the development of Buxtehude’s style of composition. Buxtehude’s organ works are his most significant contribution to the history of music. They consist of a comprehensive body of 90 compositions, of which more than half are chorale settings.

The organ featured on this 2-CD set is one of only two surviving organs by Erasmus Bielfeldt and has been restored on the basis of the great organ building art of the baroque in 1990 by Ahrend.

Ton Koopman is one of the world’s foremost early music keyboard specialists and directors. His recording of the complete Bach Cantatas received worldwide acclaim. He is president of the International Dieterich Buxtehude Society and one of the world’s leading authorities on his music.