Bach: Complete Brandenburg Concertos

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 works... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Wonderful transcriptions of JS Bach's majestic music; sensitive, tender, vivacious, effortless and fluid playing.
Disadvantages: Nil.

...Her latest CD from EMI Classics, ‘Bach/Works for Trumpet’, already tops zerbine28's list for Classical CD of the Year. (I know, I know, it's only April as I post this, but that's how strongly I feel about this recording.) Readers, if you please, do welcome young British trumpet player Alison Balsom, who now joins the ranks of Mssrs Miles Davis and Herb Alpert in my teeny-tiny list of favourite trumpeters. No, I never heard of her, either, before yesterday, when I first sampled her CD at the local Borders book and music shop. Released just this past January, the CD is an absolute stunner. The title is a little misleading, because Johann Sebastian Bach never wrote pieces specifically for the instrument (discounting the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, of course). Besides which, the ‘trumpet’ in Bach’s time... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Everything you could ever want from a classical CD
Disadvantages: none

...by Aaron Copland 47. Die Walküre Composed by Richard Wagner 48. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in B flat minor Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky 49. (6) Brandenburg Concertos Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach 50. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in D minor Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov 51. 1812 Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky 52. Symphony No. 9, 'Choral' in D minor Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven 53. Carmen Composed by Georges Bizet 54. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 5, 'Emperor' in E flat Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven 55. Pomp and Circumstance Composed by Sir Edward Elgar... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful