Mysterien Kantaten

This is also a great opportunity to discover two composers, not well-known but really original, and whom the work show a perfect writing technique. Nicolaus Bruhns, young student of Buxtehude and prodigy, who could turn into a violinist while playing organ with his feet. Sadly, he passed away at 32, leaving behind him some great works for organ and cantatas, including this De Profundis. On the other hand, Cristoph Bernhard, was the heir of Johann Schütz tradition. He was one the main actors of the cultural life in Hambourg, that was at this time the best place for music in Europe and first city for the Opera in Germany.
Finally, the german XVII century is also a time of fascination about the stars and their rotations. This enthusiasm is translated into music with a lot of pieces in continual change : chaconnes or passacailles. This is the music of the spheres. Two wonderful examples of this stubborn bass (Pachelbel and Buxtehude) will be presented, with a « mystery sonata » !

« Mysterien Kantaten », inspired from the rosaire mystery sonatas written by Biber in 1678, gets us into a upheaval time for the Roman Germanic Empire. Composers, impregnated with religious mystery in a country subject to violence and diseases, use twice as hard their science to translate in music the passions and troubles of the soul.

This concert invites to a journey, modelled on life and its mystery. It opens with a Reincken sonata and ends with the Fried und Freudenreiche Hinfahrt (« An end in peace and joy »), a reflexion about death ? Dietrich Buxtehude publishes this two pieces cycle in 1674, Mit Fried un Freud (« I leave in peace and joyful »), written as a tribute to his friend and surintendant Menno Hanneken : and the Klag-Lied (« Death song »), in memory of his deceased father.