"On occasion this is the Baroque equivalent of jazz..
WHM | Amsterdam | 01/08/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"..or even rock 'n' roll", says John Eliot Gardiner; "when playing these concertos musicians need to think, breathe and move like dancers". And right he is! If you're inclined to doubt this, just listen to how Gardiner's ensemble plays the 3rd movements of Concertos no. 1 and 3, how the music whirls, spins and dances with sturdy counter-rhythms in the bass line. If that's not dazzling swing, I don't know what is.
No one is dying for yet another fine recording of these concertos, but this is really a great performance; surely one of the best I've listened to. Gardiner has long been reluctant to record the Brandenburgs. "For what is a conductor to do in this repertoire?" as he writes in the booklet. Except for nos. 1 and 2, these Concertos are essentially chamber music so Gardiner took the conductor's stand only in the first two concertos, whilst sitting in the audience in the rest. The actual leader of the English Baroque Soloists here is violinist Kati Debretzeni, a true virtuoso. But special praise should go to the 'hunting' horn, oboe and bassoon players in concerto no. 1 and, foremost of all, trumpet player Neil Brough in concerto no. 2; they do a fantastic job.
Tempi are fast, energetic and lively as they should be, and as one can expect with Gardiner (just the 1st mvt. of concerto no. 2, with the trumpet solo, is too rushed for my taste, though not at the cost of intonation or accuracy).
The sound is crystal clear and very detailed; the informative booklet includes a long note by Gardiner and reflections by orchestra members on their personal experience of recording these concertos.
Those who prefer the Brandenburg concertos less "wild", but otherwise comparable, should go for Trevor Pinnock's recordings, either with The English Consort (1982) or the European Brandenburg Ensemble (2007; my favorite of the two). Superb performances, too! But I can't imagine anyone being disappointed by the Gardiner CD set.
Timing (6 concertos):
Gardiner: 92:04
Pinnock (2007): 94:23
Pinnock (1982): 95:05
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