Search - Buxtehude, Alain :: Buxtehude: Organ Works

Buxtehude was the most famous composer of organ music before Bach, and his music now comes as something of a surprise. The thought of German organ music, especially that written for use in church, does not exactly represent for most people the last word in excitement. But Buxtehude's music is even flashier than Bach's, with plenty of organistic fireworks. In fact, Bach tends to be more controlled and "structural" than Buxtehude, whose emphasis on pure virtuosity has in some ways never been surpassed, particularly in his brilliant toccatas and preludes. Marie-Claire Alain is just about the world's finest exponent of this music, and her performances are recommendable in every way. --David Hurwitz