On two different organs, both roughly contemporary with the composer, the famed choral conductor Suzuki performs a selection of Buxtehude’s works with dazzling technique and clarity. Suzuki has also recorded organ works of Bach and Sweelinck. He began his organ-playing career at the age of 12, working as a church organist. The greater part of this recording is performed on the Klapmeyer organ of St. Nicolai Church in Altenbruch, Germany. The organ took its present form in 1727, when it was moved within the church to a west gallery position. Parts of the instrument date to a 1561 rückpositiv added to an earlier (ca. 1500) organ of six stops. Other additions were made by 1621, in 1647-49, and 1698 before Klapmeyer’s work. Jürgen and Hendrik Ahrend renovated the organ in 2002-2004. Antonius Wilde built the organ in Lüdingworth’s St. Jacobi Church in 1598. In 1682, Arp Schnitger accepted a commission to enlarge the organ from 20 to 35 stops and to add a rückpositiv, pedal towers, greater keyboard range and a new case. Leaving Wilde’s pipework largely untouched, Schnitger planned the expansion and then, being called away to St. Nikolai Church in Hamburg, left the completion of the work to his apprentice Andreas Weber. Since it was virtually untouched for the next two centuries, the organ was a focus during the German organ reform movement of the 1920s. It was restored by Jurgen Ahrend in 1980-82 and has been tuned in meantone since 1999. BUXTEHUDE: Altenbruch Toccata in F, BuxWV 156 Praeludium in a, BuxWV 153 Ciacona in e, BuxWV 160 Te Deum Laudamus, BuxWV 218 Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, BuxWV 220 & BuxWV 221 Praeludium in g, BuxWV 148 Toccata in d, BuxWV 155 Lüdingworth Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott, BuxWV 207 Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BuxWV 196 Magnificat primi toni, BuxWV 155 This hybrid disc plays on both CD & SACD players.