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BUXTEHUDE. A VOICE FROM THE NORTH

Together with Lars Ulrik Mortensen and Jakob Bloch Jespersen, Concerto Copenhagen will pay tribute to the talented composers of the Baltic Sea from the 18th century - all celebrated in the present, but forgotten in the past.

 

In the late 18th century, the southern part of Europe was characterized by many ongoing wars and conflicts. As a result, many talented musicians and composers sought refuge in northern Europe. As a result, in the many cities along the Baltic Sea you could suddenly experience music of the same quality as in many European cities.

Johann S. Bach made his legendary walk in 1705 from Arnstadt in Thuringia to Lübeck in Holstein - almost 400 km - to experience Danish Dietrich Buxtehude's organ playing and famous Abendmusik. Which just goes to show the magnetic power the Baltic Sea region had at this time. Besides Buxtehude, there was a plethora of talented composers - celebrated at the time - but forgotten in retrospect.

This concert brings some of them back into the light. Besides Buxtehude, we meet his father-in-law Franz Tunder from Lübeck, Johann H. Scmelzer from Vienna, Johann B. Erben from Danzig, Johann V. Meder, active musician and composer in Bremen and Hamburg, Andreas Kirchoff, staff musician and composer from Copenhagen, and finally Matthias Weckmann from Thuringia, associated with the court of Christian IV and Crown Prince Christian at Nykøbing Falster.