The era of the North German Baroque is a remarkable time in many respects. It continued the tradition kindled by Heinrich Schütz and brought it to full blossoming, while at the same time paving the way for the art of Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Philipp Telemann.

Both facets can be heard on the present recording: on the one hand, the influence of the free compositional style which superseded the strict contrapuntal technique of Palestrina’s music, that had taken flight in the realms of Florentine opera and from there found its way into church music and to Germany through the mediation of Heinrich Schütz; and the music of Georg Philipp Telemann, represented here by his cantata ‘Nach Finsternis und Todesschatten’ on the other.

The vocal works by Franz Tunder, Dietrich Buxtehude, Nicolaus Bruhns, Christoph Bernhard and Georg Philipp Telemann which are recorded here, however, not only stand in close relation to the tradition from which they arose as well as to the musical aesthetics which they themselves developed, but also show manifold links amongst each other – especially through their composers and contexts.

These vocal works are complemented by organ pieces by Georg Böhm and Dietrich Buxtehude, performed by Hauke Ramm, church music director and organist at St Wilhadi Stade, at his church’s high Baroque Bielfeldt organ. This is one of the largest instruments of its kind in North Germany, and was constructed by Erasmus Bielfeldt between 1731 and 1736.

The present recording with Gotthold Schwarz and the Sächsisches Barockorchester also takes into account the specific historical performance contexts of the North German Baroque. Such considerations are underlined by the use of appropriate instruments: the soloists of the Sächsisches Barockorchester play on period instruments.