Dieterich Buxtehude (c. 1637 to 1639) was a German-Danish organist and composer of the Baroque period. His organ works represent a central part of the standard organ repertoire and are frequently performed at recitals and in church services. He composed in a wide variety of vocal and instrumental idioms, and his style strongly influenced many composers, including Johann Sebastian Bach. Buxtehude, along with Heinrich Schütz, is considered today to be one of the most important German composers of the mid-Baroque.

"Von Gott will ich nicht lassen" (BuxWV 221) is much less like anything else Buxtehude wrote. Most of Buxtehude's chorale preludes feature some sort of solo voice with accompaniment, even if the melody is not in the soprano, but this prelude features four mostly equal voices in a polyphonic texture. The setting is only loosely tied to the chorale, and while the chorale melody migrates from voice to voice, there are moments when the tune is not really present, but just hinted at. Buxtehude's chorale fantasy-type chorale settings do involve a migrating cantus firmus and can appear a little bit lenient in their treatment of the chorale melody; however, this piece doesn't really look much like the typical Buxtehude chorale fantasy either.

Although originally created for choir, I adapted this work for the traditional woodwind quartet (Flute, Clarinet (Bb), Oboe and Bassoon).

It is best played using the "GeneralUser GS.sf2" Soundfont by S. Christian Collins Software (http://www.schristiancollins.com/generaluser.php).