Bach - Brandenburg Concertos / Britten, ECO

Johann Sebastian Bach (Artist), Benjamin Britten (Artist), English Chamber Orchestra (Artist), Neville Marriner (Artist), Ifor James (Artist), Peter Graeme (Artist), Anthony Randall (Artist), Richard Adeney (Artist), David Mason (Artist), Philip Ledger (Artist), Norman Knight (Artist), Christopher Hogwood (Artist), Carmel Kaine (Artist), Nicholas Kraemer (Artist), Tess Miller (Artist), William Bennett (Artist), Emanuel Hurwitz (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 16, 1995)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B00000425M
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,725 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #44 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Concertos > Concerto Grossi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not "authentic," but still one of the best, June 15, 2000

By 

CMS "mr_keiichi" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach - Brandenburg Concertos / Britten, ECO (Audio CD)

I'll say it right now: THIS RECORDING IS PERFORMED WITH MODERN INSTRUMENTS. You have been warned. Don't buy it if you strongly believe that all Baroque music must be played on Baroque-period instruments.

With that said, this is still a very enjoyable rendition of Bach's greatest orchestral works. The small ensemble size makes for a crisp, intimate recording -- almost like having a personal orchestra in your very own home. That's right, these formerly-analog recordings are surprisingly clear and realistic. The performance itself is also top-notch; Britten understands the Baroque style very well and carefully avoids over-romanticizing. At the same time, he makes sure never to become mechanical in the interpretation. Bach's music is notorious for being mathematically precise, but why shouldn't we put some feeling into the musical equation? Everyone sounds like they're having a rollicking good time on the recording, and you will too after absorbing yourself in the music.

Speaking of rollicking good times, the soloists go all out on this recording to show off their skills. The unforgettable harpsichord solo in the 5th concerto is as good as any I've ever heard, the violin work in the 4th is absolutely smokin', and I'm sure there's a lot of other great solos that I can't remember right now.

The two extra concertos on the second disc (the one for violin/oboe and the other for flute) are a very pleasant surprise -- you may even find them more enjoyable than the Brandenburgs.

I would have given this recording 5 stars, but it loses one for not being on period instruments. However, it's still great value for money and an excellent introduction to the music of Bach!

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, December 8, 1999

By 

F. Haji (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach - Brandenburg Concertos / Britten, ECO (Audio CD)

Frankly I was surprised when I listened to this set. I was expecting a heavy, romantic, modern instrument version of the Brandenburgs. However, Britten's Brandenburgs are very baroque and stylishly played.

The fast movements have a lot zest...without excessively fast tempos. The slow movements are warm and expressive. There are no surprises here...nor are there any disappointments...just very skilled music making from the ECO.

The recorded sound is excellent! I have said this before, but some of these older analogue recordings have a warmth about them that modern digital recordings lack.

A great set, and given the price an bargain too!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine set of Brandenburgs, August 31, 2001

By 

A reader (Santa Cruz, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach - Brandenburg Concertos / Britten, ECO (Audio CD)

In college I grew up with the Ristenpart / Chamber Orchestra of the Saar recordings of the Brandenburgs (on Nonesuch, LP only; the CD version on Accord is tricky to find). This set is rather like those recordings in spirit, but to my surprise, after much back and forth comparison, I think I like this version even better. Both have a warmth and a vitality; neither is afraid to feel some emotion. But I prefer the recording quality of the Britten version, and the intonation of the horns in particular seems better in this recording. The oboe/horn duet in the last movement of the 1st concerto is downright jolly, almost humorous (I don't know whether it's supposed to be, and I don't care; I just like it).

I also compared this to a recent recording with original instruments, and while I like the idea of using the old instruments, I just don't like the harsh, scratchy violins and out-of-tune horns.

The Britten recordings of the Brandenburgs are also available on Penguin; while the Douglas Adams essays are brilliant, I prefer the London set's two bonus concertos (conducted by Neville Marriner) to the violin concerto on the second Penguin CD. These two concertos are conjectural reconstructions from a harpsichord concerto of earlier works that no longer exist. I find them a colorful addition to the Brandenburgs.