Bach: Brandenburg Concertos

Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Nikolaus Harnoncourt (Conductor), Concentus Musicus Wien (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Concentus Musicus Wien
• Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt
• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
• Audio CD (March 9, 1993)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Teldec
• ASIN: B000000SID
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,803 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #67 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Concertos > Concerto Grossi

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Concerto #1 In F Major (BWV 104): (Allegro)

2. Concerto #1 In F Major (BWV 1046): Adagio

3. Concerto #1 In F Major (BWV 1046): Allegro

4. Concerto #1 In F Major (BWV 1046): Menuetto - Trio - Menuetto - Polacca - Trio - Menuetto

5. Concerto #2 In F Major (BWV 1047): (Allegro)

6. Concerto #2 In F Major (BWV 1047): Andante

7. Concerto #2 In F Major (BWV 1047): Allegro assai

8. Concerto #3 In G Major (BWV 1048): (Allegro)

9. Concerto #3 In G Major (BWV 1048): (Adagio)

10. Concerto #3 In G Major (BWV 1048): (Allegro)

Disc: 2

1. Concerto #4 in G Major (BWV 1049): Allegro

2. Concerto #4 in G Major (BWV 1049): Andante

3. Concerto #4 in G Major (BWV 1049): Presto

4. Concerto #5 in D Major (BWV 1050): Allegro

5. Concerto #5 in D Major (BWV 1050): Affetuoso

6. Concerto #5 in D Major (BWV 1050): Allegro

7. Concerto #6 in B flat Major (BWV 1051): (Allegro)

8. Concerto #6 in B flat Major (BWV 1051): Adagio, ma non tanto

9. Concerto #6 in B flat Major (BWV 1051): Allegro

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece, May 5, 2008

By 

Socrates Stewart "Baltimore Boy, Music Collec... (Owings Mills, MD) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Bach: Brandenburg Concertos (Audio CD)

Nikolaus Harnoncourt provides one of the great five star performances of Bach's legendary Bradenburg Concertos. Despite being recorded in 1964, the sound quality is fresh, crisp, with a remarkable sense of presence. The performances are spirited and authentic played on historical instruments. These are the recordings I listened to years ago which made me fall in love with these delightful compositions when they were available as a very aristocratic looking boxed set on Telefunken records. Though the CD packaging doesn't equal the majesty of the original LP's, the booklet is complete and informative.

Those insisting on more modern technology might consider Trevor Pinnock's contributions which were my CD mainstay until I discovered my great originals were available on CD.

For a more orchestral sound on standard instruments, nothing beats Neville Marriner with St. Martin's-in-the-Field.

Still, for the honest intimate feel of Bach's beautiful music, this is the version to enjoy!J

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best musical recordings ever made, April 2, 2011

By 

Keith Alan Deutsch (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Bach: Brandenburg Concertos (Audio CD)

This is a rarity in musical recordings: once heard this rendition of the Brandenburg Concertos renders all other recordings as if in error. Most of all the tempo is somehow always perfect. Of course, I love the antique instrumentation with the harpsichord at center, but most of all it is the agile tempo of the performance that makes other recordings seem dull, or distorted. Recordings which use modern instruments somehow also sound lazy and out of condition. Romantic instrumentation also sounds uncoordinated in comparison to this lithe, and spirited performance.

I had an LP recording of this performance which I bought in the late 1960s, and which I loved as much as any other music I owned, most of which was folk, blues, rock, and jazz. This performance delighted, and soothed me. It sounded wonderful on a very excellent stero system from that period. On my new 2011 MacBook Pro computer, the balance of the recording is more brassy than my memory recalls, and as fine as my computer is, an adequate sound system it is not. The clarity of the music is excellent, and I would never know that it was recorded so early in the 1960s. I have yet to play my CDs on a modern full speaker system so I cannot say if the balance between the gorgeous harpsichord and the horns will sound smoother to me. The stringed instruments, in particular what I believe may be a "modern" violin, sound grand.

I love these Brandenburgs more than any other Bach composition, and I favor Bach more than most classical composers. And I must say I have never experienced the phenomenon of this recording any other time: where all other performances of these works just sound wrong after becoming accustomed to this performance.

I will keep these performances of the Brandenburg Concertos carefully with me for the rest of my life. I lost them once, and will not do without them again!

10 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brandenburg Concertos, March 31, 2009

By 

M. Peskoff "Malbase" (New York State) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bach: Brandenburg Concertos (Audio CD)

Bach: Brandenburg Concertos
Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Nikolaus Harnoncourt (Conductor), Concentus Musicus Wien (Orchestra)

Of all the CDs, records, and tapes of the Brandenburg Concerto, the Harnoncourt version is the best.
I originally heard the recording on Television, in a PBS show years ago. Probably there is a 33 disk recording.
Definitely a tape. I still have the two set tape edition. I also own the CD version which Amazon.com sells.
A good use for the recording is to play the music while studying, learning, or reading. It is believed that the music works with your brain waves.

Instrumentation: Unlike other version of the Brandenburg, Harnoncourt uses only original instruments which were played in Bach's time. There is no piano, but a harpsichord. Recorders. Possibly the only modern instrument in the recording is a violin.

Recommendation: Harnoncourt's version is definitely the version to get.