The 'famous organist' Vincent Lubeck

Johann Gottfried Walther, writing in 1732, described Vincent Lübeck (1654-1740) as a 'famous organist', and the organ builder Arp Schnitger went so far as to call him 'the world-famous organist'. That Lübeck has not been regarded in this way in more recent times is partly the result of scholars and performers viewing 17th-century organist-composers from North Germany purely as predecessors of J. S. Bach. This new edition by Siegbert Rampe is therefore very much to be welcomed, as previous editions (e.g. by Hermann Keller (1941), Josef Hedar (1953) and Klaus Beckman (1973)) do not contain all the available works, and in varying degrees treat the musical texts in a relatively cavalier fashion. This is the first edition to present all Lübeck's extant organ and clavier compositions, and also includes a number of unknown pieces whose sources have previously been overlooked. The sources available are considerably more reliable than for many other North German organists of the period, and are described at length. The detailed preface to each volume is exemplary, and the printed text beautifully presented.

Vol.1 contains three praeludia and a chorale fantasia for organ, together with 45 miscellaneous small keyboard pieces of the type used for teaching-many anonymous, some by Lübeck senior and some by other composers (including the only known pieces by his son). These pedagogic pieces come from a manuscript of 1691 and work well on a small harpsichord or clavichord of the period; indeed, dynamic markings in some pieces point to the clavichord, which was regarded as the first and best instrument on which to learn keyboard technique. Vol.2 has four more organ praeludia and a fragmentary chorale setting, together with a Chacon which could be played on any keyboard instrument. The Clavierübung that Lübeck published in 1728 is almost certainly intended for harpsichord, and consists of a praeludium in A minor and a suite in G minor, with an appended chaconne on Lobt Gott ihr Christen allzugleich. Also included in this volume are two sets of anonymous chorales from manuscript sources. Harpsichordists should take note of the Clavierübung works, particularly the praeludium, which is a fine extended work worthy of concert performance.

Rampe commendably notates the pedaliter organ works on two staves, as was the practice of the period, rather than using an editorial third stave for the pedal part. The indications as to where the pedal might be used are part original, part editorial, and as in Lübeck's period a certain amount is left to the player's taste and discretion. The large praeludia are mainly virtuoso works, with pedal solos and dramatic rhetorical flourishes; though they may not be as imaginative or finely crafted as those of Buxtehude or Bruhns, they have many features that present-day organists and audiences will enjoy. Probably the best known is the E major praeludium that opens Rampe's vol.2. Also in this volume is a complex praeludium in G minor, the first fugue of which is specifically notated for double pedal-a challenge for the player, and here Rampe does use a third stave for clarity. Again using a separate pedal stave is a long chorale fantasia on Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, whose title specifies two manuals and pedal, and which contains typical solo and echo passagework.

The D minor praeludium in vol.1 contains intriguing original markings: seven St Andrew's crosses (X), larger than alphabetical characters, occur in the manuscript copy made by Walther. Hermann Keller has plausibly suggested that in this piece the symbols may indicate places for an assistant to change stops, thus perhaps giving some insight into contemporary registration practice. There are further instances of this mark in the fragment of Nun lasstuns Gott den Herren from the same manuscript source, but here they cannot indicate registration changes, leaving tantalizing doubts as to their true meaning. In common with so many markings...