Born in 1616 or thereabouts, having displayed considerable talent from an early age, the 11-year-old Matthias Weckmann was brought to SchÃ¼tz, who took the boy under his wing. As soon as his voice broke, he became organist at the court chapel in Dresden, and SchÃ¼tz took him to Hamburg for lessons with the most celebrated German organist of the day, Jakob Praetorius. Weckmann also spent time with Heinrich Scheidemann, enabling him, in the words of one contemporary commentator 'to moderate Praetorius's severity with Scheidemann's gentleness'. In due course Weckmann took over SchÃ¼tz's post as director of the court chapel in Dresden, but he returned to Hamburg in 1655 and settled there as organist of the city's most prestigious churches, enjoying great success before his death in 1674. Weckmann's organ music is remarkable for it's originality above all: richly textured with a sophisticated use of harmony and counterpoint, occasionally quirky but infused with an expressive intensity matched by few of his contemporaries. There are nine surviving sets of chorale variations for organ and they count among his masterpieces, ranging in texture from thick, six-voice imitative polyphony with double pedal to effusive soloistic figurations over sustained, sensuous backgrounds. Interspersed with the variation sets here are shorter Canzons, Toccatas, Preludes and Fugues which present Weckmann at his most intimate, exuberant and inventive. With only one rival set of Weckmann's organ music presently available, this new recording from Matteo Venturini will command the attention of all organ-lovers. His previous Brilliant Classics album of the organ music by Daniel Magnus Gronau (BC94843) was made record of the month by MusicWeb International: 'Matteo Venturini's performances leave nothing to be desired. They are technically impressive, but also stylistically convincing. His phrasing and articulation are very good, and his performances really breathe.'

Tracklist:

Præambulum Primi Toni A 5 In D Minor
Fantasia Ex D In D Minor
Ach Wir Armen Sünder: Versus I. - Choral In Tenor
Ach Wir Armen Sünder: Versus II. - À 2 Clav. È Ped.
Ach Wir Armen Sünder: Versus III. - À 2 Clav.
Fuga Ex D Pedaliter Primi Toni In D Minor
Gelobet Seist Du, Jesu Christ (I): Primus Versus - À 4
Gelobet Seist Du, Jesu Christ (I): Secundus Versus - Auff 2 Clavir
Gelobet Seist Du, Jesu Christ (I): Tertius Versus - Auff 2 Clavir À 4
Gelobet Seist Du, Jesu Christ (I): Quartus Versus - À 3
Toccata Dall 12 Tuono (V) In C Major
Canzon Dall Istesso Tuono (I) In C Major
Gelobet Seist Du, Jesu Christ (II): Primus Versus - À 4
Gelobet Seist Du, Jesu Christ (II): Secundus Versus - Auff 2 Clavir
Gelobet Seist Du, Jesu Christ (II): Tertius Versus - À 3 Voc.
Toccata (II) In E Minor
Nun Freut Euch, Lieben Christen Gmein: Primus Versus
Nun Freut Euch, Lieben Christen Gmein: Secundus Versus - Auff Zwey Clavier
Nun Freut Euch, Lieben Christen Gmein: Tertius Versus
Toccata (III) In E Minor
Toccata In D Minor
Es Ist Das Heil Uns Kommen Her: Primus Versus - À 5 Voc. Im Vollen Werck
Es Ist Das Heil Uns Kommen Her: Secundus Versus - Manualiter, Canon In Hyperdiapente Post Minimam
Es Ist Das Heil Uns Kommen Her: Tertius Verus - Vff 2 Clavir
Es Ist Das Heil Uns Kommen Her: Quartus Versus - À 3. Pedaliter, Canon In Sub Diapason Post Semiminimam
Es Ist Das Heil Uns Kommen Her: Quintus Versus - À 3. Pedaliter, Canon In Disdiapente Post Semiminimam
Es Ist Das Heil Uns Kommen Her: Sextus Versus - Vff 2 Clavier
Es Ist Das Heil Uns Kommen Her: Septimus Et Ultimus Versus - Im Vollen Werck, Coral Im Tenor, Manualiter Et Pedaliter
Toccata (IV) In A Minor
Canzon (III) In D Minor
Magnificat II. Toni: Primus Versus - À 5
Magnificat II. Toni: Secundus Versus - À 4, Auff 2 Clavir
Magnificat II. Toni: Tertius Versus - À 5
Magnificat II. Toni: Quartus Versus - À 6
Canzon (II) In C Minor
Præludium - À 5 Vocum
Gott Sei Gelobet Und Gebenedeiet: Primus Versus - À 4
Gott Sei Gelobet Und Gebenedeiet: Secundus Versus - Auff 2 Clavir
Canzon (IV) In C Major
Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott: 1. Versus
Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott: 2. Versus - Auff 2 Clavir
Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott: 3. Versus - À 3
Canzon V In G Major
Toccata Vel Præludium (I) 1mi Toni In D Minor
O Lux Beata Trinitas: Primus Versus - À 5, Im Vollen Werck
O Lux Beata Trinitas: Secundus Versus - À 4. Choral In Cantu, Manualiter Vel Si Placet Pedaliter
O Lux Beata Trinitas: Tertius Versus - À 4 Voc.
O Lux Beata Trinitas: Quartus Versus - 1. Variatio, Manualiter - 2. Variatio - 3. Variatio A 3 Voc., Canon In Hypodiapason Post
O Lux Beata Trinitas: Quintus Versus - Auff 2 Clavier
O Lux Beata Trinitas: Sextus Versus - À 5 Im Vollen Werck

UPC: 5028421952291
Label: Brilliant Classics
Release Date: 3.6.20
Format: CD

Weckmann / Venturini - Complete Organ Music (CD)