Search - Dietrich Buxtehude, Konrad Junghanel, Cantus Cölln :: Buxtehude: Geistliche Kantaten

Dietrich Buxtehude has always been known as an organist (the young Bach made a long and difficult trip to hear him play) and organ composer. As this disc demonstrates, Buxtehude wrote wonderful vocal music as well. These cantatas aren't like Bach's, with their strictly differentiated choruses, recitatives, and arias: there's no recitative at all, and the choruses and solo or duo sections flow into each other smoothly and naturally. The works presented here range from the jubilant Nun danket alle Gott (for five voices, trumpets, cornets, and strings) to the gentle Ich suchte des Nachts (for two singers, two oboes, and two violins). A much-enlarged Cantus Cölln performs with all their usual grace and subtlety, but also with more unbridled joy than on previous discs. --Matthew Westphal