Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Trevor Pinnock, European Brandenburg Ensemble :: Bach: Six Concertos

Wow

Robert T. Martin | 02/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the booklet that accompanies this set, maestro Pinnock notes, "...in 1982 I stood in awe of Bach's discipline and order, today I relish his sense of daring and musical subversion. Eager to cut through any conceptions of period style I invited players from different countries and of different generations to join my new voyage of exploration." I don't know about "subversive" but these performances do bring out Bach's wide emotional range from the sunlit joy of Concerto # 2 to the shady restraint of # 5. This set caused me to rethink these masterworks which is quite an accomplishment for pieces that we tend to take for granted and listen to on autopilot.

There are dozens of recordings of the Brandenburgs available but if you have room for one more please give this beauty a try.

"

Nice feeling, musical playing, and lovely recorded sound -

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 02/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The world isn't dying for another good reading of the Brandenburgs, but here's a fine one. I was especially impressed that everyone plays in tune and with real style. Pinnock leads a band of musicians who make you feel this music, not stand apart and admire it form a distance. Accusations of being too emotional aren't likely to apply; the day is long past when "authentic" meant dry and academic. Tempos adhre to a lively average that's extreme in no direction. Now that period performance has conquered the Baroque field entirely, mature interpretations are emerging that can compete with great musicians like Casals and Menuhin whose style seems outdated but at no cost to their musicality.



For a long time I kept Benjamin Britten's famous Brandenbugs on the shelf as my reference, even though it wasn't in period style (modern instruments were emplyed). I think I can safely put it aside for this new set, which is totally satisfying even to holdouts like me. Avie's sound is close up and beautiful (As usual, the harpsichord is miked larger than life but not egregiously so.)"

Beautifully Played

R. D. Sanders | TX USA | 05/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Clear and beautiful. I have listened to it many times since downloading. I am no music expert, but my wife is a former music teacher and really loves the orchestration. It is far more lively sounding and clean than many of the recordings I remember."