Advantages: Beautiful relaxing music. Rich instrumentation. Played with passion. Disadvantages: Not all instruments are from the period.
If I was ever asked to select my "desert island discs", top of my list would be Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. (I wonder if there's a category in the ciao café?. . . ) The six Brandenburg concertos, each with their distinct quality and sound requiring a different combination of instruments, are not only a delight to listen to but exemplify the intellectual musical genius of their composer, Johann Sebastian Bach. All six are composed in major keys creating and maintaining a cheerful, vivacious collection. The modulations of key demanded by the baroque conventions are skilfully completed and Bach's predilection for numbers and ornate touches are evident. I could say more but this isn't a musical analysis . . .
I am not alone in my high estimation, The Brandenburg concertos are now probably the best loved and most frequently performed ...
Advantages: J. S. Bach; all musicians and vocalists; Karajan. Disadvantages: Karajan's big, ponderous sound and historical inauthenticity, for some.
With an eye to leaving an impressive legacy, Austrian-born conductor Herbert von Karajan was wise to adopt the available modern technology early on to record his works for posterity. 'His Legacy For Home Video', as the DVD project was called, gave him complete artistic and technical control over the entire production. Notwithstanding the pomposity of the name, the series from Sony Classical does earn its place in every classical music lover's library for the sheer excellence of the recorded material.
One disc that never goes out of favour for this listener is the all-Bach 1984 New Year's Eve Concert (Silvesterkonzert) held at Mr Karajan's stomping grounds, the Berlin Philharmonie, where he directs the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The featured soloist is German violinist and Karajan protegé Anne-Sophie Mutter, who plays ...
Advantages: Romantic orchestral music Disadvantages: Only 1 hour - eat quickly for a romantic dinner
Johann Sebastian Bach, giant among Baroque composers, was a prolific writer whose versatility and creativity resulted in a wealth of musical works with a diversity ranging from sacred choral works, keyboard music to orchestra music.
The CD, Concerto for Two Violins in D minor / Violin Concertos in A minor & E minor, is an orchestral recording conducted by Salvatore Accardo, in which two violins (Anne-Sophie Mutter and Salvatore Accardo) / solo violin (Anne-Sophie Mutter) are contrasted with a larger orchestra (English Chamber Orchestra) of strings and bass continuo instrument the harpsichord.
Bach is often criticized for his strict attention to form. Whilst, I greatly admire Bach for his intellectual and methodical approach to composition, what I enjoy most is the harmonious and melodic music that results.
This CD is a superb ...
