Friday Night Organ–Der Totentanz of Lubeck

[PistolPeteParticipant 27143]

Lübeck is a major port city in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany. Located on the Trave river it was the leading city of the Hanseatic League, and because of its extensive Brick Gothic architecture, it is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The old part of Lübeck is on an island enclosed by the Trave. The Elbe–Lübeck Canal connects the Trave with the Elbe River.

Humans settled in the area of Lübeck after the last Ice Age ended about 9700 BCE. Several Neolithic dolmens can be found in the area. Around AD 700, Slavic peoples started moving into the eastern parts of Holstein, an area previously settled by Germanic inhabitants; the latter had moved on in the course of the Migration Period. Charlemagne (Holy Roman Emperor 800–814), whose efforts to Christianise the area were opposed by the Germanic Saxons, expelled many of the Saxons and brought in Polabian Slavs allies. Liubice (the place-name means “lovely”) was founded on the banks of the River Trave about four kilometers (2.5 miles) north of the present-day city-center of Lübeck. In the 10th century it became the most important settlement of the Obotrite confederacy and a castle was built. In 1128 the pagan Rani from Rügen razed Liubice.

In 1143 Adolf II, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein, founded the modern town as a German settlement on the river island of Bucu. He built a new castle, first mentioned by the chronicler Helmold as existing in 1147. Adolf had to cede the castle to the Duke of Saxony, Henry the Lion, in 1158. After Henry’s fall from power in 1181 the town became an Imperial city for eight years.[citation needed] Emperor Barbarossa (reigned 1152–1190) ordained that the city should have a ruling council of twenty members. With the council dominated by merchants, pragmatic trade interests shaped Lübeck’s politics for centuries. The council survived into the 19th century. The town and castle changed ownership for a period afterwards and formed part of the Duchy of Saxony until 1192, of the County of Holstein until 1217, and of the kingdom of Denmark until the Battle of Bornhöved in 1227.

Around 1200 the port became the main point of departure for colonists leaving for the Baltic territories conquered by the Livonian Order and, later, by the Teutonic Order. In 1226 Emperor Frederick II elevated the town to the status of an Imperial Free City, by which it became the Free City of Lübeck. In the 14th century Lübeck became the “Queen of the Hanseatic League”, being by far the largest and most powerful member of that medieval trade organization. In 1375 Emperor Charles IV named Lübeck one of the five “Glories of the Empire”, a title shared with Venice, Rome, Pisa and Florence. Several conflicts about trading privileges resulted in fighting between Lübeck (with the Hanseatic League) and Denmark and Norway – with varying outcome. While Lübeck and the Hanseatic League prevailed in conflicts in 1435 and 1512, Lübeck lost when it became involved in the Count’s Feud, a civil war that raged in Denmark from 1534 to 1536. Lübeck also joined the pro-Lutheran Schmalkaldic League of the mid-16th century After its defeat in the Count’s Feud, Lübeck’s power slowly declined. The city remained neutral in the Thirty Years’ War of 1618–1648, but the combination of the devastation from the decades-long war and the new transatlantic orientation of European trade caused the Hanseatic League – and thus Lübeck with it – to decline in importance. However, even after the de facto disbanding of the Hanseatic League in 1669, Lübeck still remained an important trading town on the Baltic Sea.

And so why all this reminiscence? The Marienkirche was a central feature of of the city. The main organ in the church dated from 1377 but the Church was also home to the “Totantanz” organ. And instrument of great renown. The Dance macabre organ (Totentanzorgel) was installed in 1477 on the east side of the north arm of the “transept” in the Danse Macabre Chapel (so named because of the Danse Macabre painting that hung there) and was used for the musical accompaniment of the requiem masses that were celebrated there. After the Church Reformation it was used for prayers and for Holy Communion services. In 1549 and 1558 Jakob Scherer added to the organ among other things, a chair organ (Rückpositiv), and in 1621 a chest division was added. Friedrich Stellwagen also carried out extensive repairs from 1653 to 1655. Thereafter, only minor changes were made. For this reason, this organ, together with the Arp Schnitger organ in St. James’ Church in Hamburg and the Stellwagen Organ in St. James’ Church (de) in Lübeck, attracted the interest of organ experts in connection with the Orgelbewegung. The disposition (de) of the organ was changed back to what it had been in the 17th century. But, like the Danse Macabre organ, this organ was also destroyed Palm Sunday 1942.

For those interested in the whole Danse Macabre/totentanz thing see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danse_Macabre

The organists of this Church were also men of frame, Franz Tunder, and Dietrich Buxtuhude. Bach, Handle and Bruhns had all traveled to Lubeck at one time or another to play this instrument. Tonight’s recording was made on the original 1477 instrument in 1941 as part of a radio broadcast some six months before the RAF fire bombed the city Palm Sunday 1942 and destroying most of the church and the organ. The RAF admitted that the city was of little military value but since most of the building and structures were made of wood it seemed a good target for fire-bombing. The accompanying video is really interesting from a historical point of view and takes us through the bombing and into the present. So enough of the history lesson lets get on with the music and the video.

Track list:
0:00 Nicolaus Bruhns “Little” Praeludium in E minor
5:16 Dietrich Buxtehude Praeludium in C, BuxWV 137
10:55 Dietrich Buxtehude Toccata in D minor, BuxWV 155

[It’sallbsParticipant]

http://www.leavemeansleave.eu

[Anonymous 42]

[JVBParticipant]

Have another Guinness Pete.

Peace is > piece.

[PistolPeteParticipant 27143]

Love John Scott—and that is a fantastic instrument GOOD find IstallBS.

[Anonymous 14]

My Maker Pete. My mind is officially blown. Dambuster bombs followed up by incendiary bombs. Bloody f~~~ing hell Brother. Good dig.

[Anonymous 14]

JVB wrote:

Have another Guinness Pete.

Hey man, if you are talking s~~~ on Pete you are talking s~~~ on a lot of men here, myself included. Take that, stick it up your ass and spin on it.

[PistolPeteParticipant 27143]

True this instrument had been around for over 400 years, played by all the great masters and now its gone forever. That is why the recording is so important. Its analogous to burning up the Mona Lisa and all we have left is a photo.

[Author]

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