Customer Reviews

Bach - Brandenburg Concertos / Britten, ECO

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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!

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!

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.

If recorders, natural trumpets, etc., are important to you in performances of Bach's music, stay away from this performance. If, however, you like transcriptions, Bach played on the piano, etc., I can whole-heartedly recommend this recording.

The performances here use flutes, trumpets with pistons, etc. I expect that the violins have the longer necks that have been in use since the nineteenth century, and that many other canons of authentic baroque performance are violated. These are not, however, the lushc, romantic performances common in the 1960s. The tempi are slower than typically used today, but not much. The performing group is relatively small. The violinists employ vibrato sparingly.

Most important, Britten conducts with a great understanding of and love for the music, and the musicians play wonderfully.

And, of course, the set is a bargain.

This set of the Brandenburgs are wonderful.

The ECO is a polished ensemble, and while I don't understand all the fuss about modern vs. period instruments (music is music, and can be well--or poorly--performed on either flavor), the playing is fine indeed, and the soloists are outstanding.

Britten's musical talents were so manifold--here he conducts Bach w/ unerring tempi, orchestral balances, and love for the music. The other Britten Bach I know, the St. John Passion, while not perfect (the diction by the singers could have been much improved, but hey, that seems to be the state for a lot of performances), reveals that the incredible success of this set was no fluke.

The history of Britten with the ECO is interesting, too, and it's great to have history preserved, w/ excellent performances, that reveal the genius of two greats: Bach and Britten.

The engineering isn't perfect: you certainly won't get digital clarity. While I prefer a more spacious sound, the engineering is warm. It should not disappoint.

I am often bothered by those that think baroque music must be played on period instruments, and likewise by those that choose Mozart and Beethoven to be played in "authentic" means as well. Yes, the time period instruments do provide a different sound, but isn't music about the life that comes from the music, not the means of making the music? Music moves us not because we hear a strad or period orchestra wonderfully vibrating, but because we connect with the lines and melody of the sound being produced. These performances tastefully render the Brandenburg Concertos. They might not be sprightly, hold down Bach's instructions to a tee, or be played on period instruments, but they do convey Bach's written notes with wit and integrity, and with Bach especially, that's really all that is necessary for a moving performance. Let the music speak for itself, and stand alone - and in my opinion, that's all that is necessary here to create a wonderful effect.

Britten's Brandenburgs are not hell-bent for leather nor "historically informed", but very well-played in a grand and stately manner suggestive of a great composer respectfully conducting the work of another from a different era. The remastered analog recording from 1969 is excellent with a warm bloom surrounding the intimate soundscape.

I play these for a change-up on music that can become overly familiar, but that almost no one doesn't like at least once in a while.

This is not a "period" performance. Nor is it all that great among the "non-period" performances that I know of (a far better "modern" version performed by a huge orchestra and conducted by Richter is available on DVD, for example). However, this recording is worth having for the sakes of the sixth concerto, where in the first movement they have achieved an inimitable coruscating texture (I'm not sure whether this is due to the recording or playing). I love this sound: it's like a scintillating play of echos, probably as intended by the author. I'm unaware of another recording that sounds quite like that. Otherwise, it's mediocre -- first and foremost, because it's too slow. Well, the menuet in the first concerto is pretty good too. All in all, worth having -- especially since it's sold here for a pittance. But if you never heard this piece, then better go with either Pinnock (period sound), or Richter (modern orchestra/instrumentarium, but masterfully conducted; anything by Richter is worth checking out at least).

Benjamin Britten at the front of the Chamber English Orchestra made a formidable feat with these sublime Bach's works.

The best recordings in what approach and performance concerns were the Third, Fifth and the Second. Hovered by that endless noblesse and expressive éclat. The first is played soberly with austere eloquence. The Fourth Concerto is perhaps the weakest performance; a mite restrained and cold, lacks of that polished brightness and notorious lyricism. In fact this is the most Romantic of the set.

This set figures among the best performances made during that decade. In my personal case, I've always been a devoted admirer of the sound of this supreme ensemble, its captivating performances with Daniel Barenboim playing the set of Mozart's piano concertos seem to prove it.

You can do without this album. Go for it.

This set contains some of the finest versions of Bach's Brandenburgs that I've ever heard, especially numbers 5 & 6. Disc #1 contains beautiful, polished versions of concertos #1-4, but it's disc #2 that really wowed me...I've never before heard concerto # 5 feature the harpsichord so exceptionally and gorgeously and makes this whole set worth the price in itself. Then I was treated to concerto # 6 with some of the most gentle and beautiful violin playing that I recall hearing in a Brandenburg concerto. Plus, disc two adds his Concerto for violin, oboe and strings in D minor(from BWV 1060) and Concerto for flute and strings in G minor(from BWV 1056), both pleasant recordings.

Now, for those of you who like to try unusual versions of Bach's Brandenburgs I highly recommend checking out the following: 1) Bach - Brandenburg Concertos / AAM, Hogwood
Johann Sebastian Bach (Artist), Christopher Hogwood (Artist), The Academy of Ancient Music- Audio CD 1990(NOT THE 1997 release!!). This set features "early/1st versions" of these concertos and are a real treat. 2) "Switched On Brandenburgs": One of a kind masterpieces played on Moog synthesizer by Wendy Carlos(all 6 concertos)...brilliant!!! 3) J S Bach: Brandenburg Concertos Siegbert Rampe (Audio CD - 1997). This set features the concertos played in the French pitch style, softer tones and a little faster than usual and includes two versions of concerto # 5(BWV 1050 & an early version BWV 1050a) a significantly brilliant must have for Brandenburg fans(hard to find but Amazon has a few copies as I write this). And lastly, 4) Bach: The Brandenburg Concertos (Complete) by New London Consort and Philip Pickett (Audio CD) - Import(search a little, it's available). This set features a new interpretation of the Brandenburgs & is one of my favorite recordings. All of these recommended CD sets are currently available on Amazon, and as stated earlier each performance is notably different from the average standard version that you'll find. I hope this review will be of some help in tracking down some beautiful nuggets for all of you J.S. Bach fans...happy listening!!