Monday, March 30, 2026

An Hour of High Baroque Music

Good morning! Here is a one-hour selection of High Baroque chamber and vocal music. We open with Johann Adam Reincken's Partita No. 6 from his Hortus Musicus, music that so impressed the young Johann Sebastian Bach that he arranged several of Reincken's themes for harpsichord. Then Buxtehude's festive Magnificat anima mea in a radiant performance by Ton Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir.

A rare sacred concerto by Johann Rosenmüller follows, a composer who blended German gravity with Venetian colour like no other. Georg Muffat's Sonata III from Armonico Tributo, a work that masterfully fuses French, Italian and German styles. The playlist closes with two works by Johann Pachelbel: a jubilant cantata and suites from his Musikalische Ergötzung, along with the familiar Canon and Gigue.

Programme

1. Johann Adam Reincken — Hortus Musicus, Partita No. 6
2. Dietrich Buxtehude — Magnificat anima mea
3. Johann Rosenmüller — Bleibe bei uns
4. Georg Muffat — Armonico Tributo, Sonata III
5. Johann Pachelbel — Cantata · Musikalische Ergötzung · Canon

▶ Open playlist in Spotify · 1 hour

Johann Adam Reincken

1623 – 1722

Hortus Musicus — Partita No. 6 in A major (1687)

Recorded: November 1995

Les Cyclopes: Thierry Maeder (violin) · Bibiane Lapointe (violin) · Brian Feehan (violin) · Manfred Kraemer (violin) · Laura Johnson (viola da gamba) · Guido Balestracci (viola da gamba)

• Sonata
• Allemand
• Courant
• Saraband
• Gigue

Dietrich Buxtehude

c. 1637 – 1707

Magnificat anima mea, Domine, BuxWV Anh. 1

Recorded: 2006 – 2007

Bettina Pahn, Johannette Zomer (soprano) · Bogna Bartosz, Patrick van Goethem, Daniel Taylor (alto) · Jörg Dürmüller, Andreas Karasiak (tenor) · Donald Bentvelsen, Klaus Mertens (bass)
Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir · Ton Koopman, conductor

• Magnificat anima mea, Domine

Johann Rosenmüller

1619 – 1684

Bleibe bei uns, denn es will Abend werden

Recorded: 2021

Ensemble 1684 · Gregor Meyer, conductor

• Bleibe bei uns, denn es will Abend werden

Georg Muffat

1653 – 1704

Armonico Tributo — Sonata III (1682)

Recorded: August 2020

Concerto Copenhagen · Lars Ulrik Mortensen, director

• I. Grave – Allegro
• II. Corrente
• III. Adagio
• IV. Gavotta
• V. Rondeau

Johann Pachelbel

1653 – 1706

Halleluja! Lobet den Herrn in seinem Heiligtum

Recorded: 2004

La Capella Ducale · Musica Fiata · Roland Wilson, conductor

• Lobet den Herrn in seinem Heiligtum

Musikalische Ergötzung — Suite in C major, P. 374 (c. 1691)

Recorded: 2016

Gli Incogniti · Amandine Beyer, director

• I. Sonata
• II. Aria
• III. Treza
• IV. Ciacona

Canon & Gigue, P. 37 (c. 1680)

Recorded: 2016

Gli Incogniti · Amandine Beyer, director

• I. Canon a 3 Violinis con Basso c.
• II. Gigue

Image & Context

Laurent de La Hyre (1606–1656)
Allegory of Music, 1649 · Oil on canvas, 105 × 142 cm
One of a series of seven allegories on the Liberal Arts, likely a replica of the version held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
La Hyre painted this work during the height of French Baroque classicism — the same decades that saw Reincken and Buxtehude establishing the North German organ school.

Image courtesy: Galerie Jean-François Heim, Basel

Another hour of Baroque music

Earlier I posted a playlist with one hour of Baroque music and apparently, you liked it 😀

So here is an other hour of Baroque music, with three big and bold Baroque works. 

Fasch, Händel and Bach knew each other works and respected each other. The “grande” overture in g minor is played by the Belgian ensemble Il Fondamento. Their recordings are always a bit hit or miss to my opinion. But this Fasch recording is a hit. 

Händel’s 16th organ concerto is in fact an arrangement by the composer from the concerto a due cori in F major, HWV 334. That concerto borrowed material of the so-called Fitzwilliam Overture (HWV 424) and the opera Partenope (HWV 27). The organ concerto in this form was probably performed with the oratorio, Judas Maccabaeus (HWV 63) in 1747. 

The last work is Bach’s well known fist Brandenburg concerto in perhaps a lesser known performance, Jordi Savall leads le concert des Nations.

I hope you will enjoy the (just over an hour) playlist! 

Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688-1758)

Tracks 01-07 Overture Suite for Three Oboes, Bassoon, Strings and Continuo in G Minor, FWV K/g 2 (between 1740-55)

Il Fondamento 

Paul Dombrecht, conductor.

Recorded 2004

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)

Tracks 08-15 Organ concerto HWV 305a in F major (no 16), arranged from HWV 334 (1747)

Orchestra Of The Age Of Enlightenment

Bob van Asperen, organ and conductor.

Recorded 1996

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Tracks 16-19 Brandenburg concerto in F major BWV 1046 (before 1721)

Le concert des Nations

Jordi Savall, conductor

Recorded 1991

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/18pm5Rbcxzlc06VCqVO9tA?si=c246625812ce438e(HTTP link)

1 hour Baroque music playlist on Spotify

So you want a playlist with one hour Baroque music on Spotify? Here is a curated playlist!

First, let’s explore the melodious lute concerto by Johann Friedrich Fasch, a German composer who, just before Bach’s arrival, founded a ‘Collegium musicum’ in Leipzig. This initiative paved the way for an orchestral concert culture in the city. Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow, the (only!) teacher Georg Friedrich Händel ever had, remains an intriguing figure. Unfortunately, I couldn’t trace the specific New Year’s Day for which the cantata “Preiset Mit Mir Den Herren” was written, but I hold great admiration for this exceptional work.

Now, let’s delve into Handel’s famous harp concerto. Interestingly, the manuscript cover reads “Concerto per il Liuto e l’Harpa.” That “e” is crucial—it signifies “and,” not “or.” So, was it a misprint, or was it genuinely intended for both harp and lute to play? In this recording by La Divina Armonia, we find the latter to be the case.

Georg Philipp Telemann, known for his “faithful music master,” issued a musical magazine containing pieces for home enjoyment. Among the 1728 monthly issues, there was a partita for harpsichord. Pay attention to the third movement titled “Rondeau” (track 17). Could Mozart have been influenced by this piece? It almost foreshadows his aria “Batti, Batt bel masetto.” Feel free to hum along with the melody!

Lastly, let’s transition from the Baroque era to classical music with Jakob Friedrich Kleinknecht’s 1748 trio sonata for two flutes and continuo. Remarkably, Kleinknecht worked in Bayreuth a century before Wagner. Enjoy the playlist! 🎶

Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688-1758)

Track 01-03 Lute Concerto, FWVL: D1, between 1735 and 1745

Richard Stone, Lute & conductor

Tempesta die mare, Philadelphia Baroque orchestra

2012

Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow (1663-1712)

Track 04-11 Preiset Mit Mir Den Herren (Festo Novi Anni)

Constanze Backes, soprano

Capella Frisiae, chorus

Accademia Amsterdam, Ludger Remy conductor.

2009

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)

Track 04-11 Concerto For Lute And Harp In B Flat Major, Op 4/6, Hwv 294, 1736

Luca Pianca, Archlute

Margreth Köll, Harp

La Divina Armonia, conductor

2007

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)

Track 15-19 Partia à Cembalo solo, TWV 32:1

From: Der getreue Music-Meister, Lektion 1-3, 1728.

Roberto Loreggian, harpsichord

2016

Jakob Friedrich Kleinknecht (1722-1794)

Tracks 20-22 Trio sonata in D major, op 2, 1748

Aysha Wills, traverso

David Westcombe, traverso 

Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde, cello 

Artem Belogurov, harpsichord

2019

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KmgsBaiHy9YDxrHBqTJW5?si=22fe0ca968474435(HTTP link)

German Christmas music from the 17th Century

For those who want a serene playlist of German Christmas music from the 17th century, this is the place! The Margaretha Consort recently recorded this CD, that has played many times on my computer. Conductor, gamba player Marit Broekroelofs wrote the liner notes that can be read here:

https://www.naxos.com/mainsite/blurbs_reviews.asp?item_code=8.551398&catNum=551398&filetype=About%20this%20Recording&language=English#

Playlist: 

1 Praeludium for Organ in G minor by Franz Tunder 

 Gerrit Hoving (Organ) 

2. Nun komm der Heiden Heiland by Michael Praetorius 

3. O Jesu, nomen dulce by Heinrich Schütz 

4. In dulci jubilo by Michael Praetorius 

Written: by 1619; Germany 

5. Maria durch ein Dornwald arr by Frank Wakelkamp 

6. Puer natus in Bethlehem by Michael Praetorius 

Written: by 1619; Germany 

7. Nobilissime Jesu by Alberich Mazak 

8. Heute ist Christus der Herr geboren, SWV 439 by Heinrich Schütz 

Written: 1632; Germany 

9. Teutsch Et in terra by Michael Praetorius 

10. Illibata ter beata by Petrus Hurtado 

11. Vater unser im Himmelreich by Hans Leo Hassler 

12. Quem pastores by Michael Praetorius 

13. Es ist ein Ros entsprungen by Michael Praetorius 

14. Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern by Johann Hermann Schein 

15. Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her, WV 69 by Heinrich Scheidemann 

16. Veni, veni, Emmanuel, Traditional, arr by Frank Wakelkamp

Margaretha Consort

Conductor:  Marit Broekroelofs

Hope you will enjoy it! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/0DSDnGvaAWLwWwMOJ97Q9w?si=HNQ8STKXT82CqN75JtTt-g (Webplayer link) 

You want to hear organ music on the Dutch radio? Well, forget it, buy a CD...!!

It was around 2004 when one of the most anti-radio verdicts was stated by then Avro program manager Ad ’s-Gravesande. After banning organ music from the classical PBS station radio 4 he was asked where organ lovers should go to after the ban he replied: “let them buy a CD” …

Weird, because “Dutch organ culture” was the winner of a public query in the search of the penultimate Dutch music culture. I remembered this ban, just after I heard one of the finest organ players of the Netherlands, Piet Kee, had died at the age of 90, last week. 

In the 1990’s he recorded a couple of splendid organ CD’s for the Chandos Chaconne label. The one I always liked best was the one with the 1743/1750 Weingarten organ. An organ filled with myths, stories and unique stops, as can be heard in the last two tracks of this CD. 

As a tribute to Piet Kee, this playlist:

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)

1. Ciacona d-moll

2. Präludium d-moll

3. Fantasie g-moll

4. Ciacona f-moll

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

5. Prelude in f-minor BWV 534

6. Fuge in f-minor BWV 534

Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748)

7. Jesu, meine Freude (Variationen)

Johann Michael Bach (1648-94)

8. In dulci jubilo

Nicolas Antoine Lebègue (1631-1702)

9. Les cloches

Franz Xaver Murschhauser (1663-1738)

10. Variations on Laßt uns das Kindlein wiegen

Piet Kee, Organ

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/5H1vJYueA5KdiYQE5yZJcu?si=iS_pycyTQFiTVtt8TADZNg (webplayer link)

Gorgeous Baroque music recording by Jordi Savall on Spotify

So you want to have a bit of Baroque in exemplary performances? 

Well, here are 78 minutes of pure joy. I stumbled on the Teleman Viola da Gamba suite and was hooked. Later, I read the Classics Today, Gramophone magazine, Musica dei Dominum and Fanfare reviews and it seemed I was not alone in my praise for this recording.

Hope you will like it too! Enjoy :-)

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713).

Track 01-06 Concerto Grosso in D major opus 6, no 4.

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767).

Track 07-13 Ouverture en suite in D majeur for Viola da Gamba, strings and continuo TWV 55: D6.

Jordi Savall, viola da gamba. 

Georg Philipp Telemann.

Track 14-17 Concerto in A minor TWV 52:a1 

Pierre Hamon, recorder. 

Jordi Savall, viola da gamba. 

Georg Philipp Telemann.

Track 18-24 Concerto Tafelmusik, Part 1: no 1, Overture for 2 Flutes, 2 Violins and Strings in E minor, TV 55

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764).

Track 25-30 Concerto Les Indes Galantes, Suites des Airs à Jouer.

Le Concert des Nations 

Jordi Savall, conductor

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/1sW9XOgiepd4aYARKTWUtM

(Webplayer link)