O fröhliche Stunden, O fröhliche Zeit, for soprano, 2 violins, violone & continuo, BuxWV 84

• Composer: Dietrich Buxtehude
• Period: Baroque (1600-1749)

Review

This cantata was sung at Easter time. The basis of the text is a strophic sacred song by Johann Rist published in 1655. With a strophic text one would expect Buxtehude to write the same music for each strophe, but his setting is through-composed in the same manner as his typical sacred concerti. The work is scored for two violins, violone, soprano, and continuo. The voice and the violins are in constant interchange, alternating brief phrases and motives, much more as one would expect from a non-poetic biblical text. The work concludes with a stirring Alleluia, with a somewhat martial character. ~ Andrus Madsen, Rovi

Albums with Complete Performances of the Work

Title	Date
Buxtehude: O fröliche Stunden	2007
Buxtehude: Vocal Music, Vol. 1	1997
Buxtehude: Vocal Music, Vol. 1	1997

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