Andrew Benson-Wilson plays the famous 1723 Hildebrandt organ in Störmthal, Leipzig (where Bach gave the opening recital), on Wednesday 15 June 2016 at 7pm, during the Leipzig Bachfest.
My organ recitals
Weckmann recital: programme notes
The Queen’s College Chapel, Oxford. 27 April 2016
Matthias Weckmann
1616–1674
Andrew Benson-Wilson
Praeambulum Primi toni a 5
Ach wir armen Sünder (3v)
Canzon V
Magnificat Secundi Toni (4v)
Toccata ex D
Gelobet seystu, Jesu Christ (4v)
Matthias Weckmann is one of the most influential 17th century organist composers of the North German – a compositional school that started with Hieronymus Praetorius and the pupils of Sweelinck and culminated in Buxtehude and, by influence, Bach. Weckmann’s contribution was to bring elements of the Italian style to North Germany. Unlike most of his contemporaries who were born in or near Hamburg and studied in Amsterdam, Weckmann was born in Thuringia. He studied in the Dresden Court under Heinrich Schütz, a pupil of Giovanni Gabrieli, and in Hamburg with Jacob Praetorius, a Sweelinck pupil. After periods in Denmark and Dresden (where he befriended Froberger, also born in 1616), Weckmann settled in Hamburg in 1655, becoming organist of the Jacobikirche and setting up the Collegium Musicum. He is buried beneath the Jacobikirche organ.
The Praeambulum Primi toni a 5 is a fine example of the mid-17th century North German style of free composition that led Continue reading
Matthias Weckmann (1616-1674)
Andrew Benson-Wilson plays music by
Matthias Weckmann (1616-1674)
on the famous Frobenius organ in the Chapel of The Queen’s College, Oxford.
27 April 2016, 13:10.
A recital of organ music by the Hamburg master organist/composer, Matthias Weckmann, born 400 years ago this year. A pupil of Schütz who, in turn, was a pupil of Giovanni Gabrieli, Weckmann studied and worked in Dresden and Denmark. A friend of the influential Froberger, Weckmann settled in Hamburg in 1655 as organist of the Jakobikirche. He died in 1674 and is buried beneath the Jakobikirche organ.
Praeambulum Primi toni a 5
Ach wir armen Sünder (3v)
Canzon V
Magnificat Secundi Toni (4v)
Toccata ex D
Gelobet seystu, Jesu Christ (4v)
Programme note here.
Admission free – retiring collection. Organ information here.
See also www.organrecitals.com/abw.
German Renaissance Organ Music c1460-1577. Programme notes
The Queen’s College Chapel, Oxford. 25 November 2015
German Renaissance Organ Music c1460-1577
Andrew Benson-Wilson
Conrad Paumann (c1410-1473) Gloria de Sancta Maria Vergine
Paul Hofhaimer (1459-1537) Salve Regina 5v.
Hans Buchner (1483-1538) Gloria patri in la quarto toni
Hans Kotter (c1485-1541) Kochersperger Spanieler
Arnolt Schlick (c1460-c1521) Da pacem
Bernhard Schmid I (1535-92) Ein gutter Wein ist lobenswerdt – Sicut mater consolatur
The start of the Renaissance is difficult to define. In organ music, around 1450 seems a reasonable date, with music from the likes of the Buxheimer Orgelbüch and the Faenza Codex combining elements of Medieval and Renaissance styles. By this stage, the organ had a fully chromatic keyboard, sometimes more than one manual, and independent stops were beginning to be separated out from the Medieval ‘Blockwerk’ – the equivalent of single mixture where one note plays a chorus of ten or more notes.
The first piece demonstrates this transitional phase. Continue reading
The Queen’s College, Oxford. German Renaissance Organ Music c1460-1577
The Queen’s College Chapel, Oxford
25 November 2015, 1:10
German Renaissance Organ Music
Andrew Benson-Wilson
A rare chance to hear some of this fascinating and little-known repertoire, played on the Frobenius organ during its anniversary year.
Conrad Paumann (c1410-1473) Gloria de Sancta Maria Vergine 8v.
Paul Hofhaimer (1459-1537) Salve Regina 5v.
Hans Buchner (1483-1538) Gloria patri in la quarto toni
Hans Kotter (c1485-1541) Kochersperger Spanieler
Arnolt Schlick (c1460-c1521) Da pacem 3v.
Bernhard Schmid I (1535-92) Ein gutter Wein ist lobenswerd
Sicut mater consolatur
Admission free – retiring collection. Organ information here.
Renaissance Organ Music: 1448-1623. Programme notes.
St George’s, Hanover Sq, 20 October 2015
Renaissance Organ Music: 1448-1623
Andrew Benson-Wilson
The start of the Renaissance is difficult to define. In organ music, around 1450 seems a reasonable date, with music from the likes of the Buxheimer Orgelbüch and the Faenza Codex combining elements of Medieval and Renaissance styles.
The first two pieces (by Adam Ileborgh von Stendal) demonstrate this transitional phase. Ileborgh compiled his Tabulature in 1448 – its full title is Incipiunt praeludia diversarium notarum secundum modernum modum subitliter et diligentor collecta cum mensuris diversis hic infra annexis per fratrem Adam Ileborgh Anno Domini 1448 tempore sui rectoriatus in stendall. It include five tiny pieces called Praeambulum (the earliest known example of that title) and three variations on the popular song Frowe al myn hoffen an dyr lyed. The Praeambulum super d a f et g is the longest of Continue reading
St George Hanover Square: Renaissance organ music.
Mayfair Organ Concerts
St George Hanover Square
20 October 2015, 1:10
Renaissance organ music
Andrew Benson-Wilson
Adam Ileborg (Tabulature, 1448)
Praeambulum super d a f et g
Mensura trium notarum super tenorem ‘Frowe al myn hoffen an dyr lyed’
Conrad Paumann (c1410-1473)
Fundamentam organisandi, 1452 Continue reading
Programme Notes – Nicolaus Bruhns (b1665) – The surviving organ works
The Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair
Tuesday 4 August 2015
Nicolaus Bruhns (b1665) – The surviving organ works
Andrew Benson-Wilson
Praeludium in e (small)
Praeludium in g (Mons. Prunth – Atrib. Bruhns)
Adagio (di Nicolaij Bruhns)
Praeludium in G
Chorale Fantasia: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
Praeludium in e (large) Continue reading
Programme Notes – “A daynty fine verse” St Swithun’s, Worcester, 31 July 2015
“A daynty fin
e verse”
St Swithun’s, Worcester, 31 July 2015
Music by Thomas Tomkins, William Hayes and from early 16th century manuscripts, played on the reconstructed c1530 ‘Wetheringsett’, and the 1795 Grey organs by
Andrew Benson-Wilson : Early Music Reviews + 