Bach on the Banjo

George Frederick Handel (Composer), Antonio Vivaldi (Composer), Francois Couperin (Composer), Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Christian Pezold (Composer), Padre Martini (Composer), Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (Composer), Georg Philipp Telemann (Composer), Michael Grant (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Michael Grant
• Composer: George Frederick Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, Francois Couperin, Johann Sebastian Bach, Christian Pezold, et al.
• Audio CD (July 1, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Albany Records
• ASIN: B0000049RA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,526 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Great Music, April 9, 1999

By 

James L. Stripling (Fort Worth, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach on the Banjo (Audio CD)

John Bullard follows his marvelous The Classical Banjo CD with another fine collection of classical works arranged for five-string banjo in which he again demonstrates the versatility of the banjo in the hands of a masterful player. This time, there are more ensemble performances with guitar, violin, cello, and harpsichord, including great arrangements of the hornpipe from Handel's Water Music and a Telemann concerto. The highlight, though, is a solo banjo version of Bach's Prelude from Partita No. 3, a five-minute tour de force that is, as the pickers say, a real knuckle-buster. Like his performance of the Bach Gavotte on the first CD, this piece is sheer beauty.

Another wonderful CD - check out the excerpts on the web page and then get it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Johann would have approved, June 24, 2005

By 

DCH "DCH" (Nashville TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach on the Banjo (Audio CD)

I wonder if that idiot who wrote about stomping feet ever bothered to listen to either of Mr. Bullards cds. If he had, he would have found tasteful, respectful, even reverent translations of pieces from the height of the baroque. Bach himself wrote that his two and three part inventions were designed to teach the player the "singing style" with each hand; this is in some ways a microcosm of the baroque precepts of polyphony and counterpoint. Mr. Bullard lets each "hand" speak for itself. If you're a classical music novice like myself, it is much easier to make sense of and follow the fugue when each voice is played on a different instrument, and this cd has increased my appreciation of Bach and Handel far beyond the pieces found here.
However, there's no reason to be overanalytical. This cd stands on its own. If you really enjoy music, reject any snobbery and subscribe to the view that "If it sounds good, it is good", you'll probably love this album and also its forerunner.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, February 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Bach on the Banjo (Audio CD)

Nice recording, good clean playing. Worth buying. By the way, I noticed one of the previous reviewers of this CD seems to regard banjo as a "country music instrument." Obviously knows nothing of the extensive jazz, orchestral, folk or modern music history of the instrument. Suggestion: go and listen to some Bela Fleck or Alison Brown and don't display your ignorance.......