The organ works of Vincent Lübeck, recorded by Léon Berben on two Arp Schnitger organs!

The organ builder Arp Schnitger himself called Lübeck a „world famous organists“. And during his lifetime Vincent Lübeck was really one of the leading organists, as Johann Mattheson also reported.

Grown up in Flensburg (Danish at that time), we do not know where he really studied; possibly in Hamburg, but this is not certain. At the age of 20 he became organist in Stade where he was also responsible for the church music. and composed several cantatas.

In 1702 he became the organist of the Schnitger organ of the Nicolai church in Hamburg. With 66 or 67 stops this organ was even bigger than the instrument of the Jacobi church in Hamburg, which still exists.

Lübeck was very much stamped by Schnitgers organs, and the organs in the churches where he worked were all built by him. Lübeck has approved at least 14 Schnitger organs and has also worked for Schnitger as an adviser. Therefore nothing seemd more logical but producing this recording on organs built by Arp Schnitger: on the two manual organ of Weener (Georgs church), perfectly restored by Jürgen Ahrend, as well as on the legendary Schnitger organ in the Jacobi church in Hamburg, where Schnitger has used many old stops from the predecessor's organ and has combined them with his new stops to a unique instrument. Lübeck's official instrument in Hamburg in the Nicolai church was very similar to the organ of the Jacobi church, although it was even bigger. So, with this new CD we get an excellent impression of Lübeck's sound universe.