(''The Last Judgement''),

BuxWV The Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis ("Buxtehude Works Catalogue", commonly abbreviated to BuxWV) is the catalogue and the numbering system used to identify musical works by the German-Danish Baroque composer Dieterich Buxtehude (c. 1637 – 9 May 17 ...

Anh. 3, is an anonymous 17th-century oratorio in three acts, attributed to

Dieterich Buxtehude Dieterich Buxtehude (; born Diderich Hansen Buxtehude, ; – 9 May 1707) was a Danish composer and organist of the Baroque music, Baroque period, whose works are typical of the North German organ school. As a composer who worked in various vocal ...

. It is also known by its incipit, "Wacht! Euch zum Streit gefasset macht" (Wake up! Prepare yourselves for battle).

History

Buxtehude was organist and Werkmeister (administrator of the church's finances) at the Marienkirche in Lübeck, where he performed his concert series, the '' Abendmusiken''. He possibly performed it as part of the Abendmusiken, a concert series begun by his predecessor, Franz Tunder, and which Buxtehude brought to fame. The work is only preserved in an undated and anonymous set of parts in the

Düben collection The Düben collection is a collection of musical manuscripts named after the original collector, Gustaf Düben, held in the Uppsala University Library. It includes much 17th-century baroque music, in particular the only surviving copies of many wor ...

. There has been much scholarly debate on the subject of the work's authenticity. The work was first identified and attributed to Buxtehude by Willy Maxton in the 1920s. Maxton assessed it as being ''Das allerschrocklichste und allererfreulichste'' (BuxWV 129), an hypothesis which has since been rejected. This was accepted by scholars at the time, including

Friedrich Blume Friedrich Blume (5 January 1893, in Schlüchtern, Hesse-Nassau – 22 November 1975, in Schlüchtern) was professor of musicology at the University of Kiel from 1938 to 1958. He was a student in Munich, Berlin and Leipzig, and taught in the last ...

who described it as such in the Buxtehude entry for the 1952 edition of

Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'' (''MGG''; "Music in the Past and Present") is a German music encyclopedia. It is among the world's most comprehensive encyclopedias of music history and musicology, on account of its scope, content, wealth ...

. However, the authenticity of the work was disputed by

Martin Geck Martin Geck (19 March 1936 – 22 November 2019) was a German musicologist. He taught at the Technical University of Dortmund. His publications concerned a number of major composers. Among the composers in whom he specialised was Johann Sebastian ...

, writing in

Die Musikforschung ''Die Musikforschung'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal of musicology which since 1948 is published on behalf of the Gesellschaft für Musikforschung by Bärenreiter. The editors-in-chief are Fabian Kolb ( Frankfurt University of Musi ...

, in 1961. This led to the work being included as a doubtful work in the

Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis The Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis ("Buxtehude Works Catalogue", commonly abbreviated to BuxWV) is the catalogue and the numbering system used to identify musical works by the German-Danish Baroque composer Dieterich Buxtehude (c. 1637 – 9 May 17 ...

compiled by Georg Karstädt. The question was covered in-depth in a thesis by Sara C. Ruhle in 1982, but this has not led to definitive conclusions. One strong defender of the work's attribution to Buxtehude has been

Kerala J. Snyder Kerala Johnson Snyder is an American musicologist and educator. She is Professor Emerita of Musicology and Affiliate Faculty of Organ, Sacred Music and Historical Keyboards at the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester. She previously ta ...

Music

The oratorio deals with the Last Judgment. Allegorical figures are the Göttliche Stimme (divine voice) and the vices of avarice, frivolity and arrogance. The godless, seeking lust for life, are juxtaposed to the godly, pursuing piety, humility and joy of life. They expect the judgement in deep despair or in joyful expectation. The music combines inwardness (''Innerlichkeit'') with dramatic impact.

Recordings

''Das jüngste Gericht'' was recorded in 2006 as part of Buxtehude's complete works,

Opera Omnia The complete works of an artist, writer, musician, group, etc., is a collection of all of their cultural works. For example, ''Complete Works of Shakespeare'' is an edition containing all the plays and poems of William Shakespeare. A ''Complete W ...

, by the

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir is a Dutch early-music group based in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir was created in two stages by the conductor, organist and harpsichordist Ton Koopman. He founded the Amsterdam Bar ...

conducted by

Ton Koopman Antonius Gerhardus Michael "Ton" Koopman (; born 2 October 1944) is a Dutch conductor, organist, harpsichordist, and musicologist, primarily known for being the founder and director of the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir. He is a professor ...

, with soloists

Caroline Stam Caroline Stam is a Dutch classical soprano who has an international (European) performing career specializing in baroque repertoire, reinforced by a distinguished presence in modern recordings (see below). Education Stam studied voice at the ...

Orlanda Velez Isidro Orlanda Velez Isidro (born 6 March 1972) is a Portuguese classically trained coloratura soprano. Her preferred genre of music is Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. Since completing her education in Portugal and the Netherlands, she has lived and ...

Johannette Zomer Johannette Zomer (born March 13, 1964) is a Dutch classical concert and opera soprano. Career After having worked as a microbiology technician, Johannette Zomer shifted gears in 1990 and studied voice at the Sweelinck Conservatory Amsterdam i ...

Robin Blaze Robin Blaze (born 11 January 1971) is a British countertenor. Early life He was born in Manchester, England. The son of Peter Blaze, a professional golfer, and Christine, Blaze and his brother Mark grew up in Shadwell, near Leeds, and was ed ...

Andreas Karasiak Andreas Karasiak (born 1968) is a German classical tenor in opera and concert. Career Andreas Karasiak studied voice at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz with Claudia Eder. He studied Baroque music at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis w ...

and

Klaus Mertens Klaus Mertens (born 25 March 1949, in Kleve) is a German bass and bass-baritone singer who is known especially for his interpretation of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach for bass voice. Career Klaus Mertens took singing lessons wh ...

. Two recordings followed in 2008, one by La Capella Ducale conducted by Roland Wilson, and another, of a shortened version, by the ensemble Weser-Renaissance Bremen conducted by

Manfred Cordes Manfred Cordes (born 1953) is a German conductor of early music, musicologist and teacher. He is professor at the Hochschule für Künste Bremen and was its rector from 2007 to 2012. Publications * ''Die lateinischen Motetten des Iacobus Reg ...

References

External links

* {{italic title Compositions by Dieterich Buxtehude Oratorios