The work is dedicated to Gustav Düben, organist and Kapellmeister in Stockholm, who was not only a personal friend of Buxtehude but also responsible for the preservation of many of his compositions which came together in the Düben collection, today held in the library of the University of Uppsala. Buxtehude’s choice to write the first version of 'Membra Jesu Nostri' in the form of tablature for the organ was a gesture that contributed to emphasising the closeness of the two musicians. On the other hand, this composition was not only a declaration of affection and friendship but an authentic spiritual testament.
'Membra Jesu Nostri' is a meditation on the seven parts of the Mystical Body, to which there correspond seven cantatas, each of which is divided into six episodes: a long progress which begins with an ascent (the two ascending 16ths of Ecce super montes), and ends with an ascent. A gorgeous performance from Rosso Porpora under the direction of Walter Testolin.
