Bach Walked 250 Miles to Learn From This ONE Master
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most celebrated composers in Western classical music, but did you know that his musical development was profoundly influenced by Dieterich Buxtehude? In this video, I explore the incredible relationship between these two Baroque masters, revealing how Buxtehude shaped Bach's genius-and why Buxtehude’s music deserves to be rediscovered today.
Join me as I take you through Buxtehude’s life, his influence on Bach’s compositions, and the timeless beauty of his music. From breathtaking organ works to the awe-inspiring Abendmuziken concerts, Buxtehude’s music is more than a piece of history-it’s a source of bliss that will recharge your musical spirit. 🎶
Whether you're a listener looking for something new or a musician seeking repertoire that moves you, Buxtehude’s music has something for everyone. Ready to "Bliss Out"? Add his compositions to your playlists and repertoire today!
🎧 Listen to Buxtehude’s Music:
• Dietrich Buxtehude : H...
• Pange Lingua
• Göteborg Baroque perfo...
• Buxtehude - Abendmusik...
• VOCES8: 'Hallelujah' ...
• Vivaldi Four Seasons: ...
• Bach Cantata BWV 4 C...
• Göteborg Baroque perfo...
• Buxtehude: Membra Jesu...
👍 If you enjoyed this journey, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with your classical music-loving friends!
#Bach #Buxtehude #ClassicalMusic #BaroqueMusic #OrganMusic #Abendmuziken #WesternArtMusic #ClassicalComposer #HiddenGems #MusicRepertoire #BachInfluence #BLISSOUT #RediscoverBuxtehude
Is mostly for the organ that buxtehude was most famous and the main reason why bach sougth him out. Buxtehude had the reputation as a master improviser and being the most talented organist in the world. The organ pieces of bach take a huuuge influence from buxtehude, especially the technical aspect
Great point, he was a big deal. And Bach wasn't the only one who made a Lübeck pilgrimmage to visit Buxtehude. Händel and Mattheson stopped in as well.
Am I weird for having discovered Buxtehude organ music when I was 19 years old? I was still discovering the works of Bach when stumbling upon the art of the man from Lübeck. My favorite Buxtehude organ piece: his Jig fugue in C major, BuxWV 174 for you musicologists out there. Give it a listen, your ears will never be the same.
I would say fortunate, not weird 😉. Will look up BuxWV 174! Thanks for the tip!
B.B.B. The first two Bs, Buxthehude and Böhm (just as underrated as Bux!) basically put another young and headstrong B by the name of Bach on track to eternal glory.
Love this framing, thank you!!
The way you descibed Buxtehude's standpoint in music history reminded me of the feeling I had, when I listened to the music of JD Zelenka the first time. I really enjoyed your analysis.
You're most welcome, and thanks for the tip on Zelenka. I am not familiar with him at all, but just did a quick scan through the Wikipedia article... known and admired by Bach, rediscovered by Smetana, manuscripts lost then found... can't wait to listen to his music!
I completely agree with your comment on Zelenka. I was struck with awe for a few minutes when I first heard the beginning of his Miserere (ZWV 57) about 8 years ago. I was later surprised when my music history teacher in university specifically mentioned him in class and made us listen to the piece. I was - not suprisingly - the only student who had ever heard it before, but I immediately thought that our teacher couldn't have made a better choice to introduce us to the music of this period. Zelenka is definitely highly underrated.
@@TheAmateurPiano To give you an example of the vast variety Zelenka provides, just listen to the Credo in ZWV 31 and then to the Credo in ZWV 21. Same lyrics, but with a very different approach to style and expression.
@@mandgsurvival I love those sudden rythmic shifts and little sparkling ornamental figures. Of course this is baroque music, but I find it quite difficult to compare Zelenka's style to any other composer in that era.
I think I came in contact with Buxtehude pretty early, as an organist. In the organ world, he is pretty present and is THE composer of the stylus phantasticus. I have played his Prelude is f-sharp minor BuxWv 146 for a competition last year. I hope you give it a listen, it's such an inspriring piece
I’d love to see you do a similar video on Schütz! Just as underrated and (possibly) even more influential.
Quite a few folks had the same tip, will definitely consider it!
yes, Schütz and Scheidt 👍👍
There is a small hive of guys prior to Bach who are both instrumental and criminally underrated. Bach himself arises from the synthesis of Buxtehude, Pachelbel, and Bohm (and through Bohm, Reincken). Sweelinck makes the list. Schmidt and Scheidemann deserve mention. Schutz is the evangelist who brings the Venetian school across the Alps to Germany. All seemingly non-entities in classical performance these days because the symphony came along and hijacked the orchestra.
Thank you for this list... some new names (to me) to explore. A looong time ago I lived in the Netherlands and recall seeing Sweelinck as one of the many names encircling the mezzanine of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Very much appreciate the "symphony hijacking" swipe :D... the commodification era in the early 19th c in particular is a topic I want to talk about, but needs careful framing. Amazing comment, thanks again!
@TheAmateurPiano many mid-size American cities have decent symphony orchestras (I'm lucky to be near Des Moines, whose orchestra is top notch, especially for a city it's size), but far less common are chamber orchestras and smaller ensembles. It's hard to justify programming early music that only requires half or 1/3 or less of your players, which leads to a repertoire that heavily favors music from the later periods. Aside from the Vivaldi Four Seasons and the Brandenburg Concertos, you don't even see much from the prominent Baroque names on major orchestra programs. If anyone's ever heard of Pachelbel it's usually just for that damn Canon, and he was such a talented composer when you start digging.
@ryanfrederick3376 totally, the upper midwest has a great orchestra legacy. Back when I still entertained a music performance career--studied double bass at Northwestern--one of my dream gigs would have been St Paul Chamber Orchestra. You're quite right about the economics. You would've thought that the same kind of ensemble shrinkage (out of necessity) that happened during WWII would be happening more in North America under the circumstances. In Europe, it's been great to see the popularity surge of amazing early music groups (i.e. Nederlands Bach Vereniging) democratizing their great work with top quality--and FREE--streaming content. The economics across the pond are much better for this sort of thing of course.
not a classical music nerd, just a lowly occasional enjoyer and dabbler in classical music. still, of the 2 of your videos I've seen so far, I've gotten a lot from both, not just information but enjoyment and a spark of curiosity and appreciation for the music, no mean feat. you have a way of bringing out what is great about a certain piece of music and how to understand it and appreciate it in its context. ...which is what I'm driving at: you might see your videos as targeting and/or being most relevant to music nerds but I'm here to tell you that you have great appeal to dabblers who are curious and who sense there is more to serious music than we are tapping, much left on the table that we don't juice out on our own. and you have a way of unlocking that. so, unless this branding is not an error but a shrewdly calculated tactic to indirectly flatter and rope the audience in, you should be aware that yours is a much broader audience than the narrow elite of music cognoscenti, maybe your real audience.
I hope you do well, this is a great thing.
Well this comment made my month. My aim, since the channel pivot anyway, is indeed to find that notch between the oversimplified, somewhat patronizing "music appreciation racket" (borrowing Virgil Thomson's barbed, but marvelous quote) way of talking about music, and the dry, academic music theory way, which is also offputting to most. In the notch is the effortless human way of loving music, which is more about curation and framing than anything, and shouldn't be overthought.
Sincere thanks for the thoughtful comment. I have another one coming out around the new year, so stay tuned.
Man, you are just amazing! I can relate to this video and everything you say a 100%!
Lightning strikes twice! Thank you🙏
Amazing video!
Man, your videos are a gem.
Thank you!
Damn, that alto in Ach Herr is a real one! Great piece! I love Buxtehude's passacaglia that inspired Bach to write BWV 582. Shows how great was Buxtehude but also how greater Bach's scope was. Nice video!
I've also sang the choral bass in BWV 4 and the moment you are talking about always gave me goosebumps, it felt like minimalist baroque before the duet. Beautiful cantata.
THAT alto, right? Absolutely blew me away, and the connectivity of the conductor… of one mind. just a magnificent performance. I’ve been waiting my entire life for an excuse to talk about BWV 4, and finally got it 😁. One of my desert island pieces, the Den Tod mvmt in particular. Thanks for the great comment!
Thank you for your channel! This video was fascinating. I've heard this story long ago and I heard that when Bach arrived, Bux was getting ready to retire from music.
Yes indeed... he very likely tried to get Händel and Bach to take his post so that he could retire, but with the condition that they marry his 50 year old daughter! Both of them obviously passed on the offer.
I know and love Buxtehude already, but now I have had the pleasure of discovering and subscribing to The Amateur channel. Looking forward to perusing all the offerings.
Welcome to the channel, and glad to know another Buxtehude fan... and thanks for the sub!
The composers of northern Germany had that sort of deep rich melancholic sound probably inspired by the hymns of Martin Luther and his contemporaries. Consider Böhm (Bach's secret teacher) and Reincken (whose music Bach had seen) when Bach was a teenager in Lüneburg.
Make vids on Theile and Lubeck next pls! There is really good mention of Theile and Buxtehude in the book Bach and the Meanings of Counterpoint. Oh yeah and Bruhns...
That whole North German Organ tradition is underrated as a creative source.
Great suggestion, thank you! I will dig into that.
I’ve known and loved Buctehude’s music since I was a teen bass in a school chorus when we sang one of his cantatas; the North German Baroque produced many great pieces from many outstanding composers. Understandably Back has overshadowed most of it but it was a great period.
How wonderful that you got the exposure so young. It was indeed a great period! Thanks for the comment.
@5:55-6:06 "...just outside that zone of familiarity... it's music that just hits differently"
Yes! I think that might be a good way to describe the appeal of M.A. Charpentier, an exact contemporary: 1643-1704. (Charpentier's Te Deum came to mind as soon as I heard the "Ach Herr!" example of Buxtehude that you play @6:44.) I'll see if your remarks @5:55-6:06 work for me, for Buxtehude too. I really appreciate this video because I've "been meaning to learn about Buxtehude" ever since encountering one of his compositions at Hertz Hall (UC Berkeley) in 1960. Somehow, the project just kept getting delayed and delayed, for these 64 years... Until now you've made it impossible NOT to dive in!
Excellent, super rewarding I promise! Right back at you with Charpentier... he's been in my peripheral vision for YEARS, but never took the time to venture down that path.
Very nice video! Can you make a video on Frescobaldi, too?
Thank you! Great suggestion, rich subject... will absolutely consider it.
OH LORD! Thanks that this video and channel were in my recommandations :)
😁❤️
Just discovered your channel and wow your videos are amazing! I really hope you blow up on classical music youtube!
Welcome to the channel! I hope so too ☺️
Great quality right here! Thank you for your effort!
Thank you!
As always, richly researched, eloquently delivered, stylishly presented, all with relation to the layperson, capturing their attention and holding their interest as only you, my pedagogical, talented friend, can. Thank you for this gem.
Thank you mon ami… I hoped you’d like this one ❤️
@@TheAmateurPiano Always my pleasure, mio amico!
Yes Buxtewho
Thank you for reminding me of the stillness within!
So important, you bet!
Awesome video. Very interesting and informative. Will definitely check out more of your videos. Thanks very much for all the work that went into it!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! I have a lot more music history videos coming!
Preach!
Great video! Thanks
Glad you liked it!
Excellent video!! Fabulously produced, and so informative!! Thank you!!🌷
Most welcome, great to hear from you!
@@TheAmateurPiano❤
Ok ok, I liked and subscribed, dammit! 🤪 I'm already a Buxtehude fan, especially of his harpsichord works.
Haha thanks, glad to have you in the club dammit!
JS Bach learned from many, but his music was his own. The next time I read Klaus Eidam's The True Life of Johann Sebastian Bach (Das wahre Leben des Johann Sebastian Bach) I'll pay more attention.
JS was not "one of the most" but the most. Klaus Eidam sets the record straight on all the lies told about that towering genius. "...he links us with the universe."
Few of us know that Buxtehude is another real GOAT. We have lost lots of his works, unfortunately. If we had them, there would be no question about this issue. Of course, Bach is a giant, no doubt, another GOAT, but the master was as great as he was if not greater in some sense. Well, they are not potatoes that you can weigh and compare. But you are right when you say something like whenever JS Bach imitates Buxtehude, he becomes just like his master. And Christ lag in Todesbanden is a very good example. The world doesn't know Buxtehude yet, but I hope one day they will at least appreciate the master as well as the student. Buxtehude goes very, very, very deep down in the soul, perhaps deeper than anyone else.
Good video! i like buxtehude very much. subscribed! :D
Awesome, thanks for watching, and the sub!
🙏 ❤ 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏
This video was both informative and refreshing, as well as fun. As a Bach nerd, i really appreciate it. +1 Sub. Thanks!
Thanks for the comment and the sub!
Excellent video, very nice listen on my walk, I will check him out!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed!
Great video and examples! Thank you much!
You're very welcome, thanks for watching!
Excellent video
🙏
You look like Bach!
I subscribed, dammit!
Terrific, welcome to the channel dammit!
Must you be a nerd to listen to classical music, or any music before 1690, for that matter? 😎 Nice post. Thanks.
It's certainly not a must, but nerds and classical music do tend to converge. Thanks for watching!
Good video. What is music at 1:25??
Thank you! That is Canzonetta BuxWV 225 (go to 03:45 in ua-cam.com/video/VUcdBz3LIuU/v-deo.html ... good curated list of Buxtehude organ works!) Enjoy!
Yes. Christ lag in Todesbanden, Bach imitating his old master. You hear it, and I hear it. But there are a few passages where Händel does the same. Dettinger Te Deum. Dixit Dominus. Well, Hamburg was quite close to Lübeck, real walking distance :-)
In Bach's organ works I hear more of Pachabel influence then Buxtehude.. just my ears maybe?
Both had an influence for sure.
💐⛵️🎈
I regard Buxtehude as the greatest Baroque composer next to Bach. Handel (who wrote mostly public music) has his place, but comparing Handel to Bach or Buxtehude is like comparing wall paper to fine art. And I would make a case that Buxtehude's free-style keyboard works (the toccatas and preludes and fugues) are superior to those of Bach (which, however, are mostly early works). This performance of Buxtehude's Chaconne in e makes me weep: ua-cam.com/video/6xDGV_yL6bo/v-deo.htmlsi=iEAUArsD4gEDiezV
Boy do I ever love a good chaconne, or passacaglia for that matter. The most hypnotizing of forms. Such a great piece, and a great recording. Thanks for sharing and for the great comment!
Just a word of clarification. Buxtehude never composed a proper "prelude and fugue", of which Bach is the undisputed master. He only used the terms "toccata" and "praeludium", which indicate a single-movement work with alternating fugal and free-style sections.
Well....Do you have a verdict re, Vaclav Michna?
I didn't, but now I do... spent a good part of the afternoon listening, he's amazing. Thanks for bringing his music to me.
@@TheAmateurPiano You are welcome. Check Antonio Lotti Vespers and psalms. (same CD)Pure haven.
Dietrich Buxtehude IS better than Bach!!!!!!!!! He lived parallel to another great composer from Czechoslovakia. Adam Vladimir Michna Z Otradovich.
Do you know him? If not check this phenomenon out!!!!!!!!
I haven't heard of him but will check him out, thanks for the comment!
@@TheAmateurPiano Please let me know what do you think of some works by Michna.