Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch (1691-1765) was born in Braunschweig (Germany) and died in Amsterdam. He received his first education from his father Heinrich Lorenz Hurlebusch, an organist and composer. One of his teachers was Buxtehude’s pupil Johann Anton Coberg. As a keyboard virtuoso but also as a conductor, he devoted much time to tour through Europe, settling for relatively short periods in Hamburg, Vienna, Venice, Rome and Stockholm. During his 10 year stay in Hamburg he met Johann Sebastian Bach and his children in Leipzig. Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, the second born, mentioned him as an excellent keyboard virtuoso. In 1742 he definitively settled in Amsterdam, having obtained the position of organist at the Oude Kerk, the oldest in the city, an office which had been held in the past by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and which he occupied until his death. He became one of the protagonists of Amsterdam’s musical life and in 1743 he was granted Dutch citizenship. Due to his cosmopolitan background, Hurlebusch was familiar with many Italian musical styles (Arcangelo Corelli, Antonio Vivaldi), but he also remained open to more recent developments such as the Galant style of the 1730s and 1740s.
This new recording presents the two-part “Compositioni musicali per il cembalo, 1735” here recorded integrally by Fernando De Luca, consisting of five suites, five fugues, two toccatas and some variations, showing the composer at ease with the forms in use at the time and mixing French and Italian styles seamlessly.
Played on a French harpsichord after Blanchet (1754) built by C. Caponi (1985) by Fernando De Luca, one of Italy’s foremost harpsichord players. He recorded to great critical acclaim the complete keyboard works by Graupner, Jollage, Dufour and Moyreau, published by Brilliant Classics. His recording of works by Jollage received 5 stars in the French Diapason.
Works:
CD 1• Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch: Minuetta con [17] variazioni in B-Flat Major
•Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch: Suite in C Minor
• Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch: Suite in D Minor
•Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch: Fuga in D Minor
•Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch: Fuga in B-Flat Major
• Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch: Toccata in E Minor
CD 2• Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch: Suite in D Major
• Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch: Suite in F Major
• Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch: Suite in G Major
• Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch: Fuga in D Major
•Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch: Fuga in G Major
• Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch: Toccata in A Major
• Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch: Fuga in A Major