Abendmusiken

music

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

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"Abendmusik" is a German term that literally translates to "evening music." It refers to an evening performance of music, often of a religious or semi-sacred nature.1

Dietrich Buxtehude, an influential organist and composer of church music in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, instituted famous Abendmusiken concerts at St. Mary's Church in Lübeck. These concerts, held on five Sundays a year, featured a mix of vocal and instrumental music and became a significant event for musicians in northern Germany. The tradition of these evening performances continued for many years.2

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Dietrich Buxtehude
…were written for the famous Abendmusiken, concerts of mixed vocal and instrumental music held in St. Mary’s in the late afternoons on five Sundays in the year. These performances, instituted by Buxtehude in 1673, became the pride of Lübeck, and their tradition was continued into the 19th century.
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…were written for the famous Abendmusiken, concerts of mixed vocal and instrumental music held in St. Mary’s in the late afternoons on five Sundays in the year. These performances, instituted by Buxtehude in 1673, became the pride of Lübeck, and their tradition was continued into the 19th century.
Read More