Organ Works

Piet Kee plays music by Buxtehude and Sweelinck on the newly restored organ of St. Laurens Church in Alkmaar (Netherlands).
Dietich Buxtehude (1637 - 1707): Magnificat Primi Toni (BuxWV 203) - Prelude in D major (BuxWV 139) - Ach, Herr, mich armen Sünder (BuxWV 178) - Komm Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott (BuxWV 199) - In dulci jubilo (BuxWV 197) - Vater unser im Himmelreich (BuxWV 219) - Prelude in C major (BuxWV 137) - Canzonetta in G major (BuxWV 171) - Canzona in E minor (BuxWV 169) - Ciacona in E minor (BuxWV 160).
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562 - 1621): Engelsche Fortuyn - Ballo della Granduca - Echo Fantasia - Puer nobis nascitur.
The organ of St. Laurens Church was originally constructed by G. G. van Hagerbeer between 1639 and 1646 and is therefore ideally suited for playing the works of Sweelinck. But the instrument was rebuilt between 1722 and 1725 by F. C. Schnitger in the North German style, thus making it equally ideal for the works of Buxtehude. Between 1982 and 1986 the instrument was lovingly restored by the company Flentrop Orgelbouw; Piet Kee was the church organist at this instrument from 1952 until 1987.

Recorded in St. Laurens Church in Alkmaar/Netherlands on 20th and 21st November 1989. First published in 1990 as Chandos Chaconne 0514. (Also available as a licensed edition from Brilliant Classics: St Laurens Church Alkmaar. Total playing time: 64'40".

Piet Kee here demonstrates once again why he enjoys such a good reputation as an organist in the Netherlands: He plays selected works by the Dutch master Sweelinck and by the famous German-Danish organist Buxtehude on the organ which he had been responsible for since 1952. By means of a careful choice of pieces to include in the recital and equally careful registration, Kee manages to produce a meditative, on occasions joyful program rich in variety that not only puts both composers in the best possible light but also shows off the possibilities of this wonderful baroque instrument. As with Kee's earlier recitals, this has all been captured by the Chandos engineers in the best possible way, leaving the lover of ancient organ music with nothing else to do but to lean back comfortably and mentally to step into the world of sound which Piet Kee and his organ create. The booklet is exemplary: There is plenty of information about both the organ and the organist, and Kee himself has written a brief introduction to each individual piece from the recital. For organists, there is a detailed list of the available stops and of all the registrations used during the recording. This is a superb organ CD!