Customer Reviews

Johann Sebastian Bach: The Brandenburg Concertos No. 1-4, BWV 1046-1049

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

 

 

This review is of the multi-channel SACD layer listened to in 5.1 surround sound.

The Performances
The performance of Bach's Brandenburg concertos with I Barocchisti directed by Diego Fasolis is by far the best performance I've ever heard on original instruments and I've all of the following:

English Chamber - Raymond Leppard
The English Concert - Trevor Pinnock
Musica Antiqua Koln - Reinhard Goebel
La Petite Bande - Sigiswald Kuijken
Concentus Musicus - Nikolaus Harnoncourt (both the early analog recording and the newer digital recording)
Leonhardt Consort - Gustav Leonhardt
The Academy of Ancient Music - Christopher Hogwood
Le Concert Des Nations - Jordi Savall

Good as these groups are, none of them quite capture Bach's Brandenburgs with as much passion as I Barocchisti infuses into these performances. I Barocchisti's dramatic arches, inflections and phrasing are new and extraordinarily right on, making the Brandenburgs even more exciting and joyful. For example, in concerto No. 1 final movement, the variations never become monotonous as they do in some of the other recordings especially Harnoncourt's. I Barocchisti's melodic lines are extremely well etched and varied. I don't want to give you any more detail so you can discover the many joys yourself. One gets the sense of PURE JOY in these performances, the essence of Bach!

The Recording
The original instruments sound so gorgeous in this 5.1 SACD (an original 5.1 channel 24-bit 96kHz recording converted to DSD for the SACD format) it was truly like having them in my room with me. The details of the performance and the earthy textures of the original instruments (especially the viola da gambas in No. 6) made for an experience I'll never forget. The engineers have captured the reverberation and ambience of the medium size recording venue, the Auditorium RSI, Lugano Switzerland, beautifully!

I am surprised this recording has not garnered more attention--it is simply fantastic. Though I wouldn't necessarily recommend this as a first recording (go for Pinnock/English Concert or Pearlman/Boston Baroque), those of you that have multiple versions of the Brandenburgs should definitely give this one a try. The tempos are lively, the balance is superb, and there is an aspect of cohesiveness in each concerto that is rarely found in other recordings. I Barocchisti plays with the same creativity and musicianship one would associate with any leading Italian period instrument ensemble. Especially for those that enjoy the recent recording by Alessandrini/Concerto Italiano, or Antonini/Il Giardino Armonico, this set is a must!

It's a little odd that these warhorses haven't garnered the SACD coverage of some of Bach's other works. I think the only competition comes from the out of print Somary on Vanguard. If you are looking for an SACD version of the Brandenburgs, you will find this a very thought provoking alternative. Fasolis and his fine period instrument group provide lusty playing in the fast movements and do not slight the tenderness and melancholy of the inner movements. The natural horns are bracingly raucous in the first concerto. There is attention to varied string articulation with both legato and detached playing being employed. Bach's polyphony is in high relief - listen for example to the oboes chattering away in the second trio of the first's menuetto movement.

The crescendo at the end of that concerto's second movement is also very effective. The trumpeter in the second concerto turns in a virtuoso account of the music. Neither an interpolated slow movement or improvisation for the first violin is employed in the third, the cadential chords being played 'straight'. Number four's soloists are very good, with more of the varied string articulation mentioned earlier from the violin.

Sound is smooth and spacious in surround mode and SACD stereo, capturing the color of the period instruments very nicely. The only blemish in the production is the English notes - awkwardly translated from the German original.

I'm not yet ready to place this in my pantheon of favorite recordings. Pinnock/English Concert, Leonhardt, and the Berlin Akademie are still my personal best bets for period instruments. The old Ristenpart version (out of print) is still an excellent choice for modern instruments. For the SACD format, this is a better bet than Somary on Vanguard.

Ce disque est l'une de mes plus grandes joies de 2009 ; acheté après la lecture de quelques articles sur I Barocchisti et son Chef Diego Fasolis, par ailleurs contreversé. Il y a longtemps que je souhaitais réentendre une autre version des Brandebourgeois que je m'étais finalement lassé d'écouter par Raymond Leppard, Reinhard Goebe, Kuijken ou Harnoncourt ; cet enregistrement est très riche et sa qualité sonore prodigieuse (24 bit). Résultat, une musique complètement rafraichie et d'une transparence infinie.