Bach: Sonatas for Viola da Gamba and Keyboard, BWV1027-29

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

...Variata in A Minor (Italian Variations) BWV 989 7 Gigue from Violin Partita no 3. BWV1006 Trio Sonata in C Major BWV 529 8 Allegro 9 Largo 10 Allegro Concerto in C minor (after Marcello) BWV 974: 11 Allegro 12 Largo 13 Presto 14 Bist du bei mir (from Anna Magdalena Notebook BWV 508) Concerto in A major (transposed to C Major) BWV 1055: 15 Allegro 16 Larghetto 17 Allegro ma non tanto 18 Badinerie from Orchestral Suite no.2 BWV 1067 19 Agnus Dei from Mass in B minor BWV 232 Performers: Alison Balsom (trumpets), Colm Carey (organ), Alina Ibragimova (violin), Alistair Ross (harpsichord & chamber organ), Mark Caudle (viola da gamba) Total running time: 71' 31" List Price: $16.98 GBP13.99 (Of course, it can easily be had for less on many online stores. Just Google the disc name and artist.) ~~~~~~~~~~~ The following information... Read review

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Advantages: Wonderful music
Disadvantages: None

...gamba and a harpsichord. Next comes music composed by Henry Purcell. It is his Chaconne in F. I have heard some of Purcell's music, but this is the first time that I have come across this particular piece. It is truly delightful, and I am pleased hat I bought this particular CD. The Chaconne in F is performed by recorders, harpsichord and viola da gamba. It consists of the following: Hark! How all Things in one sound Rejoice (The Fairy Queen) Ye gentle Spirits of the Air (The Fairy Queen) and Let the dreadful Engines of eternal Will (Don Quixote). The Fairy Queen was a revue based on a Midsummer Night's Dream, whilst was a part of a longer piece that was unfinished at Purcell's death. Arne's concerto No 4 in B flat consists of the pieces Con spirito, Minuetto and Giga. The instruments are Organ, oboes and strings. The organ is used... Read review

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Advantages: Brilliant, stirring, excitingly unpredictable, fresh performance; "genius" is not hyperbole in Argerich's case.
Disadvantages: Reflecting its LP origins, the CD lasts only 50' 16"!

...- [Ital.,=touched], type of musical composition. Early examples were written for various instruments, but the best-known form of toccata originated about the beginning of the 17th cent. Free in form, it was one of the first attempts at idiomatic writing for keyboard instruments, in contrast to the strictly contrapuntal pieces of the Renaissance. The toccata was usually rhapsodic, often interspersing rapid passages of brilliant figuration with fugal sections. Andrea Gabrieli, Frescobaldi, Sweelinck, Froberger, Buxtehude, and Bach were outstanding masters of the toccata style. Schumann wrote a toccata for piano in sonata form. As a brilliant showpiece the toccata persists today in organ composition. (from http://www.bartleby.com/65/to/toccata.html, Columbia Encyclopedia) - musical form for keyboard instruments, written in a free style... Read review

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