Sonata BuxWV Anh. 5

Dieterich Buxtehude was an accomplished viola da gamba player. This is shown not only by the famous portrait of the Domestic Music Scene by Johannes Voorhout (1674), but above all by his compositions. Buxtehude’s affinity with the viola da gamba is evident in the demanding soloistic tasks that he assigned to the six-stringed instrument, most of which push the limits of its range. The Sonata is a transcription of a three-movement trio sonata for violin, viola da gamba and basso continuo by the Habsburg court Kapellmeister Antonio Bertali. Buxtehude arranged it for organ and viola da gamba. It is suitable for concert performance as well as for use in communion services in church and is therefore a welcome addition to the viola da gamba repertoire.

Thomas Fritzsch, who initiated this separate edition, adapted the clefs to today's reading habits. The Sonata can also be played on the organ alone and is therefore part of the Buxtehude edition EB 9305.