This collection of Buxtehude's church concertos (and a few other miscellaneous bits) has been hand-picked and thoughtfully researched by the outstanding German tenor Hans Jörg Mammel. Any admirers of the warm musicianship of Jean Tubéry and his ensemble La Fenice will not hesitate to investigate this. The richly exotic continuo group (including harp and theorbo) and cornetts put Buxtehude's instrumentation into glorious Technicolor (Quemadmodum desiderat cervus, for example).
When a more restrained approach to scoring is taken the results are equally sublime. For example, the effect of the solo voice, violin, viola da gamba and keyboard continuo unfurls gloriously without unnecessary additives in Singet dem Herrn.
It is not rare to hear Buxtehude's intimately scaled church music sung by sopranos, countertenors and even basses, but it seems that tenors have infrequently got in on the act. Mammel is an assured singer of intelligent quality, and, although he often sounds rooted in his baritonal chest voice, his occasional excursions upwards prove to be particularly well rounded and sweetly judged, and his agile singing is well illustrated by the tricky coloratura in Herr, nun lässtdu deinen Diener. It seems as if he has genuinely absorbed the meaning of texts and is narrating a story rather than merely singing lovely pious music. Also, full marks to Alpha for yet another lovingly prepared recording with its customary emphasis on fine artwork.

The richly exotic continuo group (including harp and theorbo) and cornetts put Buxtehude's instrumentation into glorious technicolor… When a more restrained approach to scoring is taken the results are equally sublime. For example, the effect of the solo voice, violin, viola da gamba and keyboard continuo unfurls gloriously without unnecessary additives in Singet dem Herrn. Mammel is an assured singer of intelligent quality... it seems as if he had genuinely absorbed the meaning of texts and is narrating a story rather than merely singing lovely pious music.