Bach: Complete Flute Sonatas; Complete Viola da Gamba Sonatas

Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (Composer), Rafael Puyana (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Rafael Puyana
• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
• Audio CD (February 15, 1994)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Philips
• ASIN: B000004183
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,952 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Flute Performances Average Viola Works, October 20, 2005

By 

Octavius (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach: Complete Flute Sonatas; Complete Viola da Gamba Sonatas (Audio CD)

This album contains all of the technically challenging sonatas for flute and viola accompanied by the harpsichord. Although I wasn't terribly thrilled by Kuijken's and Cervera's performances on the viola, the flute sonatas are truly a gem worthy of purchase.

Larrieu and Puyana perform the flute sonatas impeccably. Although it does have some slight limitations, the almost 40-year old recording still sounds very clear and loud. I was extremely disappointed with the viola pieces and all of the musicians there seemed to be out of step from each other. A good interpretation I've found is on Harmonia Mundi with Paolo Pandolfo and Rinaldo Alessandrini performing: they are more proficient with the instrument and their performance is warm and melodious. They follow the meter well and apply the counterpoint very nicely. It is also a more recent 1995 recording with much better sound quality.

Overall this album is definitely a keeper as the flute sonatas are magnificently played and I've heard very few played better than here. The viola sonatas are horribly deficient and there are better performances out there that can compensate for it. Despite the defects of the viola performances, I still think this album is worth every penny.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, August 10, 2001

By 

Frank M. Rotella (Hazlet, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach: Complete Flute Sonatas; Complete Viola da Gamba Sonatas (Audio CD)

Maxene Larrieu is a grgeat flutist. I have playted these sonatas for many years and have heard recordings by over 20 different artists and this is by far my favorite.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Crisp and bright performance of Bach's enlightening sonatas., March 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Bach: Complete Flute Sonatas; Complete Viola da Gamba Sonatas (Audio CD)

I don't have any other reference recordings to compare this double-disc bargain set to, but I find it to be an immensely pleasurable experience. All the instrumentalists play with clarity, color, and apparant effortlessness. Normally, I have difficulty listening to the harpsichord for over an hour (usually I find the instrument too "grating" for my tastes), but the combination of viola or flute in the pieces really augment the beauty of the keyboard. Again, I don't have a reference recording to compare this set to, but I believe that at such a moderate price, that this double-disc set is definitely worth a try.