Magnificat primi toni BuxWv 203 - Buxtehude, in meantone temperament

Concert 18/12 - 2013 in Norrfjärden, Piteå in Sweden
Meantone tempered organ with footpumped bellows.
Music composed by Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
Sound: Joel Löf

[@michaelschmidt5766]

Wunderschön. Schade, dass man diese alte Musik noch so selten auf artgerechten Instrumenten hört - und hoffentlich entsteht auch endlich "neue Musik" aus einem ganzheitlichen Verständnis des Tonraumes heraus, die nicht nur einer kleinen "Elite", sondern auch einem breiten Publikum vor Ohren führt, dass hier (diese mitteltönige Stimmung ist "nur" eine krlstallisierte Form dessen, was ich mit ganzheitlichem Verständnis des Tonraumes meine) ein ganzes Paralleluniversum an Musik darauf wartet, erschlossen zu werden... Herzlichen Dank für die wunderschöne Einspielung.

[@bcstechnologylimited896]

Excellent playing. It seems the meantone dissonance actually works in favor of Buxtehude's piece. Of course, the instruments he would have played in his day would have been meantone, so he would have understood the dissonances and worked around them.

[@therealzilch]

At least for this kind of music with very little modulation, I'd say that meantone is more consonant on the whole than equal temperament. That's why it was used, at a time when equal temperament was already known about, if not mathematically, at least in practice (as shown by the spacing of lute frets, for instance).

[@moogfooger]

oh my this is fantastic beyond belief! The clarity that this tuning lends to the music lets you hear all the way through the tonal picture. I believe!

[@philipstapert3517]

Where meantone really excels is with bright reeds. I've become acutely aware of how badly an equal-tempered major third in the manual clashes with the strong 5th harmonic (tierce) of a pedal reed. In this recording you hear how the pure major 3rds of meantone mesh beautifully with the harmonics of the pedal reed.

[@yazeedbushnag5655]

The organ, the father of musical instruments, an instrument that is more than 2000 years old.... This is why when one listens to it, one listens to history

[@cardinalflower6959]

bravissima!

[@nonconfundar]

This organ has a beautiful direct sound and instantly reminds me of Schnitger's instruments (especially the ones, in which he re-used some older stops). Your playing and choice of registration are very thoughtful and inspiring. Your embellishments are crisp and well placed, you really managed to use a great variety of them, i really love that! That Quintadena you used so often here, is a particularly beautiful stop! There is only one little thing, which could be improved (in my very humble opinion!), namely the ends of each note. Sometimes, you seem to leave the key very fast. In some registrations, this causes the note tp lose stability, or even make it 'hick up' a little. Maybe this could be a little point of interest for you. I am really hust suggesting and note quite sure, how much of it is touch-related and how much is bellow-related in this case. I enjoyed your Interpretation very much, thank you for sharing it! Greetings from a Student of the Hamburg Conservatory:)

[@tr0llarn]

Hello, and thank you for listening! I really enjoy this instrument, it was the first of that kind I played on. If you go to Sweden some time you should visit Norrfjärden, Piteå, where this instrument is located, or The German Church, St. Gertrud, in Stockholm (which has the same instrument). It is a replica of a old instrument that was built 1609 in The German Church. We have other amazing instruments in Sweden as well, and if you want more examples you can send me a message! Thank you for your sweet comments about the registration and my playing. I agree about the release of the keys, and hopefully I have got rid of that problem now. This was recorded in a concert in the very beginning of my studies, but I really like the instrument and recording, so I chose to upload it to this channel! Good luck with your studies!

[@johnsmith-ch7fg]

Hej! Mycket bra! Helena - been listening to your stuff - interested in tuning-temperament and hearing new musics - what do you make of meantone v equal temperament - it sounds lovely, soft and harmonious to me The complaint is of 4 distant keys are sour but often there is isn't a need in pieces and some of the intervals sound kind of nice and spicy to me. Equal temperament is sort of lively but more grating.

[@johnsmith-ch7fg]

Er silly me you have 2 enharmonic keys per octave anyhow! This solves the 4 distant keys?

[@WoodymC]

I'm not a "professional", so my judgement is based on personal impressions rather than on musical/historical knowledge -- but in my ears, you have delivered a very sophisticated performance, which you can be proud of. The mean-tone temperament (sixth-comma?) just lets Buxtehude sound like it's meant to be IMO... ;) Interesting to see the split sharp keys, too, since I once read and heard about them, but have never seen a picture. Has this photography been taken on the organ you're playing in the video?

[@tr0llarn]

Thank you for your comment! :) yes this photo is taken of the organ i played. It is a copy of the organ that once was built in the German church in Stockholm around 1610~, but this one stands in Norrfjärden in the north of Sweden!

[@WoodymC]

+Helena Holmlund Always welcome, Helena! :) Guess I'd have to visit that church, should I ever visit Norrfjärden one day. Too bad that it would need a three-days trip of 2.500 kilometers by car just for getting there... :-/

[@tr0llarn]

Absolutely! ^^ Haha wow, 2500 km is not that close! But it is worth it, the organ is great! And you could visit our big organ in Acusticum too! ;) Where do you live?

[@WoodymC]

+Helena Holmlund It's a small town in Germany called Schrobenhausen, approx. 75 kilometers away from Munich. Fortunately, I have my own (virtual) pipe organ(s) at home, which allows me to practice at any time: whirlpool.media-culture.de/organ/ Next Thursday, I'll visit my parents again (500km to the North) and will have another chance for playing the big Magdeburg Cathedral organ again. I didn't plan for so much many Zelda titles this time, but most probably I'll have to play a few ones for my wife. ;-) (Btw, hope you liked the medley I posted in the comments of your Zelda performance.)

[@johnsmith-ch7fg]

I was wondering too - assuming 1/4 comma but could be 1/6