Advantages: Light, clear, could be played over and again Disadvantages: Perhaps lacks a bit of magic or sparkle
of the mundane into the enjoyable.
For those of you who like details, well here goes:
This is 1 CD containing 3Concertos for Two Harpsichords and Strings, BWV1060-62 by J. S. Bach (1685 - 1750)
Date Recorded: 1999
Conductor: Helmuth Rilling
Orchestra / Ensemble: Oregon Bach Festival Chamber Orchestra
Main Performers: Jeffrey Kahane & Robert Levin ...
Advantages: Beautiful relaxing music. Rich instrumentation. Played with passion. Disadvantages: Not all instruments are from the period.
and prettiest of the Brandenburg concertos - and probably is.
The harpsichord, normally playing continuo under the melody, suddenly rises to stunning solo prominence in the fifth. Played magnificently by George Malcolm, the effective is superlative.
In the final Brandenburg concerto, Bach leaves out the violins (a unique action for a baroque composer), using lower strings only. Menuhin also takes the first viola leading the orchestra in a richness and profound sound that evoke a deep whirlwind-sensation of emotions.
The Marquis of Brandenburg may not have appreciated this, Bach's gift of six concertos, but I certainly do. Bach gave the world a gift to treasure for all time. Yehudi Menuhin, George Malcolm, Christopher and Richard Taylor and the rest of the Bath Festival Orchestra perform them with heart-felt passion.
It may not be ...
Advantages: J. S. Bach; all musicians and vocalists; Karajan. Disadvantages: Karajan's big, ponderous sound and historical inauthenticity, for some.
choose to take it for what it is - and still enjoy some first-rate performances of two works that again serve to remind us of the towering genius that was Johann Sebastian Bach. Four-and-a-half stars (rounded off to five).
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DVD Notes:
(This DVD is available for purchase at few places. Here's one, sendit.com, for £10.99/ list is £14.99:
http://www.sendit.com/video/item/7000000062208.)
This being a musical performance DVD, some criteria rated above do not apply, but Ciao forced me to make a selection, anyway!
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NEW YEAR'S EVE CONCERT 1984
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
(1685 - 1750)
Concerto for Violin, Strings and Continuo in E Major, BWV 1042
I. Allegro 7.54
II. Adagio 7.02
III. Allegro assai 2.39
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Violin
Magnificat, BWV 243
Judith Blegen, Soprano
Helga Müller Molinari ...
