Opera Omnia [CD]

Ton Koopman is not only one of the great fathers of the Baroque-Renaissance revival in the 1970's, but a true pioneer of our time. After completing the Bach Cantatas survey, was he awarded the Bach Prize 2014 by the Royal Academy of Music. The prize is awarded to outstanding individuals in the performance and scholarship of Bach's music and none could be more worthy than Koopman, who has been noted as doing "remarkable work promoting Bach's music in the last thirty or so years. " Koopman's endless curiosity in music and performance research has this time turned his attention to a world premiere recording of Buxtehude's complete works. Dieterich Buxtehude is considered by many to be the most important figure in German Baroque music, after Johann Sebastian Bach. The importance of such a composer is reiterated by the well-known anecdote, which tells the story of 20-year-old Bach walking four hundred kilometers to listen to Buxtehude playing in Lubeck in 1705. In a world-first, Koopman has recorded Buxtehude's Opera Omnia including Vocal Works (Cantatas, Concertos and Arias), Organ and Harpsichord Works (played by Ton Koopman on historical instruments), Chamber Music (Sonatas and Trio sonatas). This box set collection is an incredible achievement in the Baroque discography, a milestone which will remain a reference for many years to come.