Bach: Brandenburg Concertos cover

Bach: Brandenburg Concertos

Released

In the early 1980s, the period-instrument movement was arriving at full maturity; no longer did you have to worry about whether the gut-strung violins and the boxwood flutes were going to be in tune, and there was solid research behind the new/old approaches to rhythm and tempo. But when Reinhard Goebel’s celebrated Musica Antiqua Köln took on Bach’s magisterial Brandenburg concertos, jaws dropped and heads were scratched across the musical world: yes, they played with admirable precision, but the tempos seemed ridiculous. But the willful oddity of this recording is part of that makes it so compelling — the other part is the precision, and the passion. This shouldn’t be anyone’s only recording of the Brandenburgs, but anyone with an interest in musical debates around period performance will find it fascinating.

Rick Anderson

Suggestions
Morton Feldman: For John Cage cover

Morton Feldman: For John Cage

Ives Ensemble, John Snijders, Josje Ter Haar
Pancrace Royer: Surprising Royer, Orchestral Suites cover

Pancrace Royer: Surprising Royer, Orchestral Suites

Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset
Kerll: Missa Non Sine Quare cover

Kerll: Missa Non Sine Quare

Fabio Bonizzoni, La Risonanza
Mozart: Clarinet Concerto cover

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto

Sabine Meyer, Staatskapelle Dresden, Bruno Schneider, Diethelm Jonas, Sergio Azzolini, Hans Vonk
The Bewitched cover

The Bewitched

Harry Partch Ensemble, Danlee Mitchell
Crusell: 3 Quartets for Clarinet & Strings cover

Crusell: 3 Quartets for Clarinet & Strings

London Haydn Quartet, Jonathan Manson, Eric Hoeprich, John Crockatt
António Pereira da Costa: Concerti Grossi cover

António Pereira da Costa: Concerti Grossi

Diana Vinagre, Ensemble Bonne Corde