Welcomed throughout Europe in the seventeenth century as a virtuoso organist and harpsichordist, Johann Jakob Froberger (1616–67) composed brilliantly for both instruments, his works a rich and appealing amalgam of Italian, French, and German keyboard styles. Especially through his organ music, this prolific German composer helped shape the style of Baroque keyboard music and influenced a number of composers who followed, among them Johann Sebastian Bach.
This volume contains all 71 of Froberger's works for organ, including 25 toccatas, 8 fantasias, 6 canzonas, 18 capriccios, and 14 ricercares. Organists will find in these beautifully crafted and elegant works, reproduced from an authoritative Austrian edition, music that links the noble style of Froberger's teacher, famed Italian composer and organist Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643), with the grander visions of the late Baroque. Because of the absence of pedal indications in the scores, these works also lend themselves to being played on the piano or harpsichord.