Customer Reviews

Bach: Brandenburg Concertos no 1-4 / Britten (Penguin Music Classics Series)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

By far one of the greatest interpretation and recording of Bach's Brandenburgs. My favorite right after the Klemperer EMI recordings. Britten and the English Chamber Orchestra totally understand these pieces and they play with pure joy in their hearts!

But get the Double-Decca...you'd want all 6 of them to live with!

I will keep optimistic waiting for Deutsche Gramophone surprises us the next year with the releases of the formidable performances of Karl Haas in the early Fifties. I still own a sample of these golden recordings, pitifully very damaged in vinyl acetate.

But if I was requested for the other optional versions I would have to mention just four in this rigorous order: Casals Marlboro of the middle Fifties; this lovable set directed by Britten, Müchinger Munich, Nikolaus Harnoncourt set in the late Eighties, and finally the hyper romantic version of Menuhin Bath Festival.

A personal advise: Go to Amazon UK and search the double pack imported from Germany that includes the complete set. The sound is excellent and the spirit and commitment will amaze you

Stunning! Bach's brilliant and beautiful Brandenburg Concertos still amaze me after hearing them so many times. They are, without question, masterpieces. Bach realized music that transcends our normal definition of music. Just listen to the CD.

Of all the versions I have heard and/or own of the Brandenburg Concertos, this CD is the best of the first four concertos. It is the standard to compare against. That is why it has been chosen as a Penguin Classic. MUST HAVE!

The crispness, mood, and overall sound are sublime. The virtuoso playing is masterful. And the pieces are legendary. Everyone should own this CD.

When this recording was made in the late 1960s, the "original performance practice" movement was just getting its start. Most of the musicians in original instrument orchestras were more musicologist than musician, so at the time, authentic performances were either too dogmatic or downright bad.

When it was done, this recording was perhaps the best performance ever done of the Brandenburgs. But the authentic performance movement matured, authentic instrument players got to be as good as their modern instrument counterparts, and in the meantime, we have learned more about the Brandenburgs in the last 30 years than in the entire time since these peices were written.

This means that MODERN instrument performances have also come a long way.

The Best modern instrument performance is by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, on Delos. The individual musicians on that recording are all amazing, from Ani Kavafian to Edgar Meyer.

After Hearing Lincoln Center's, this recording sounds heavy, hokey, imprecise. Especially the harpsichord (harpsichord manufacture has also come aeons since the 1960's--the one on this recording sounds ABSOLUTELY horrid--and take it from me, I'm a harpsichord builder and player). In particular, some instruments on this recording have weaknesses, the balance is often not very good, and ornamentation is wildly inconsistent.

I'd have to agree with "Rathburn's" assesment of this album...
Although, I am not saying that this album is not worth owning, listening to, and studying...because, there musicians and conductor are all of high quality.

I follow the "original instruments" movement (or whatever you want to call it) and it has moved the performance standard of modern playing to a new level. If people can perform that well on period instruments (or replicas), than we definetly should be able to do that on our fancy new modern instruments! This does not only apply the strings, but the horn, trumpet, oboe, flute, harpsichord, etc...

This recording, from 1969, is still a classic, and will always be a benchmark recording of the Brandenburgs (along with it's companion disc, avalaible if you buy the 2-disc set, I recommend it as a better buy). There are some "rough edges" and stylistic discrepensies on this, but, a lot of research and knowledge about period instruments and performance practices has been done since 1969, so this is still worth a listen for the good musicianship.

bach really pleased me with this compact disc. i was not completely sure of how my compact disc player would like this, but once i stuck it in, everyone was amazed at the speed and power of bach's performance. after 20-odd cd's of who knows what bach relieved us all. the party was a success. the social drinking was obviously beneficial, for it made the event even more memorable. the power of the cd was unbelievable, it was so intense that i started to take off my jacket. but once i got the jacket off, the heat of his work didnt get to me as much despite the lost articles of clothing, i liked it. but i suggest if you are going to get this cd, make sure you have protection from the heat.