{"id":39507,"date":"2024-02-27T16:33:04","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T15:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/9471e46e-87f4-4ccc-8db2-575dc535302e"},"modified":"2024-02-27T16:39:59","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T15:39:59","slug":"the-best-recordings-of-js-bachs-brandenburg-concertos","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/the-best-recordings-of-js-bachs-brandenburg-concertos\/","title":{"rendered":"The best recordings of JS Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Oliver Condy\n <\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 27 February 2024 at 15:33 PM<\/p>

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The Brandenburg Concertos are breathtaking in their instrumentation, counterpoint and orchestral texture. Here are recordings that bring out the best in these wonderful works.<\/strong><\/p>

Best classical music for beginners<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul>
The Brandenburg Concertos<\/em> are one of the greatest musical CVs ever assembled. In 1721 Bach dedicated his score \u2013 in flowery French \u2013 to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg, not in fulfilment of a commission but more as a thinly disguised application for employment at the Margrave\u2019s court.<\/p>
Read about the life and work of JS Bach<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul>
The title \u2018Brandenburg Concertos\u2019 was dreamed up in the 19th century by Bach\u2019s first biographer but, in fact, they were never conceived as a set nor intended specifically for the Margrave \u2013 Bach selected them from his back catalogue of works written while Kapellmeister at the court of C\u00f6then (1717-23).<\/p>
Their wide-ranging instrumentation and virtuoso demands were designed to showcase C\u00f6then\u2019s outstanding instrumentalists, whose talents seem to have spurred Bach on to explore the potential of the concerto form itself which he reinvented with each new work.<\/p>
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The best recordings of JS Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos<\/h2>
Rinaldo Alessandrini (director)<\/strong>Concerto Italiano (2005)<\/strong>Na\u00efve OP30412<\/strong><\/h3>There are recordings of the Brandenburgs to suit every mood and taste, but while many conductors strive for a certain consistency of approach within their sets, Rinaldo Alessandrini sees each concerto<\/a><\/strong> as a new challenge requiring individually tailored solutions.<\/p>
What is the difference between a concerto and a symphony?<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>
The essence of his set is not just variety between concertos but also within them, with a wide expressive range which nevertheless avoids attention-seeking novelty.<\/p>
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No. 1 comes off particularly well by contrasting a galloping first movement with an unexpectedly luxuriant and beautifully inflected slow movement, while in the final dash of dance movements the Polonaise is singled out for unusually mellow treatment.<\/p>
Alessandrini never drives the music too hard, bending to the lilt of the dance and prizing supple elasticity and meaningful rhetorical gestures over mechanical rhythms and mindless speeding.<\/p>
Every concerto balances the instruments differently. In Nos 1 and 2 the brass grab the limelight and deliver their parts with spittle-rattling glee, while in No. 5 Alessandrini, as soloist, is careful to balance his harpsichord<\/strong> with the gentler solo flute and violin.<\/p>
This set offers an irresistibly expansive and effusive approach, right down to the immediacy of the recording and the vast breadth of the sound.<\/p>
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Buy from ArkivMusic<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>
<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trevor Pinnock (director)<\/strong>European Brandeburg Ensemble (2007)<\/strong>Avie AV2119<\/strong><\/h3>Pinnock\u2019s set offers elegant simplicity, directness of expression and consistency of approach. Here, Bach\u2019s world is a neat and well-ordered place, with unhurried speeds and crisp articulation which carefully elucidate the musical argument and guard against exaggeration and mannerism.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/classical-musics-rule-breakers\">Classical music’s rule-breakers<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul>This lightness of touch doesn\u2019t imply a lack of emotional weight: the poignant violin and oboe solos in the slow movement of No. 1 are lovingly caressed, though the improvised cadenza in the middle of No. 3 feels more like an interruption than a connection between movements.<\/p>Resolutely clear and un-sensational, these performances un-complicate the Brandenburgs, and their transparent textures make Bach\u2019s engaging part-writing a joy to follow. The high polish of the playing is matched by a similarly precise recording.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arkivmusic.com\/classical\/Name\/European-Brandenburg-Ensemble\/Ensemble\/155363-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy from ArkivMusic <\/a><\/strong><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Bach-Brandenburg-Concertos-European-Ensemble\/dp\/B000XJ1444\/ref=sr_1_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><iframe src=\"https:\/\/embed.music.apple.com\/gb\/album\/bach-six-concertos-for-the-margrave-of-brandenburg\/271306015?app=music\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\"\/><\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Caf\u00e9 Zimmermann (2001-11)<\/strong>Alpha 811<\/strong><\/h3>Of the many Brandenburgs embedded in box sets of Bach\u2019s orchestral works, Caf\u00e9 Zimmermann\u2019s are the most revealing and rewarding.<\/p>Recorded gently over ten years, what this set offers above all is a level of chamber-like intimacy which eludes even Alessandrini and Pinnock. Directed from the first violin, and playing one to a part, these performers draw us in with their warm-heartedness and strong personal involvement in the music.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/best-pieces-music-inspired-love\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Music inspired by love<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul>The solo playing is wonderfully relaxed \u2013 more a conversation than a contest between players \u2013 while the end of No. 1 shows just how exciting the entire orchestra can be at full throttle.<\/p>Exceptionally rich and atmospheric recorded sound, too.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/J-S-Bach-Concertos-Instruments-Complete\/dp\/B005IQXUQW\/ref=sr_1_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Christopher Hogwood (director)<\/strong>Academy of Ancient Music (1984)<\/strong>Decca 455 7002<\/strong><\/h3>If you already own a recording of the Brandenburgs<\/em>, but are on the look-out for a different perspective, Christopher Hogwood\u2019s 1984 recording still has much to offer.<\/p>It remains the only set to present the concertos in their early versions, before Bach revised them for the Margrave in 1721.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/christopher-hogwood-1941-2014\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">An obituary of Christopher Hogwood<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul>We can hear No. 1 in its three-movement \u2018Sinfonia\u2019 form, and No. 5 comes with Bach\u2019s original pithy harpsichord cadenza in the final movement.<\/p>In such familiar works even the smallest changes to melodic figuration, rhythm and articulation stand out, but best of all is the unbelievably jaunty countermelody which originally accompanied the horns in the second Trio of No. 1.<\/p>This recording helped pioneer one-to-a-part performance in these pieces and, despite a few moments of emotional coolness, it has stood the test of time remarkably well.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Bach-Brandenburg-Concertos-Johann-Sebastian\/dp\/B0000042HK\/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><iframe src=\"https:\/\/embed.music.apple.com\/gb\/album\/bach-j-s-the-brandenburg-concertos\/152213995?app=music\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\"\/><\/p> <\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-worst-recording-of-bach-s-brandenburg-concertos\">The worst recording of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos<\/h2><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jordi Savall (director)<\/strong>Le Concert des Nations (1991)<\/strong><\/h3>Jordi Savall usually ensures thrilling rhythmic vitality and elegantly-inflected ensemble playing, but these Brandenburgs from 1991 never quite catch fire.<\/p>Despite first-rate soloists among his Le Concert des Nations, there\u2019s an ordinariness to the phrasing and articulation which sometimes borders on the dull.<\/p>In the opening of No. 2 the four soloists sound disconnected, and in the bigger concertos the recording lacks the focus and immediacy which the complexity of the music demands.<\/p>Read our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/tag\/js-bach-reviews\/\">reviews of the latest JS Bach recordings here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>Find out more about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/tag\/bach\/\">JS Bach and his works here<\/a><\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Oliver Condy Published: Tuesday, 27 February 2024 at 15:33 PM The Brandenburg Concertos are breathtaking in their instrumentation, counterpoint and orchestral texture. Here are recordings that bring out the best in these wonderful works. Best classical music for beginners The Brandenburg Concertos are one of the greatest musical CVs ever assembled. In 1721 Bach […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":39508,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/02\/the-best-recordings-of-js-bachs-brandenburg-concertos.png",558,368,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/02\/the-best-recordings-of-js-bachs-brandenburg-concertos-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/02\/the-best-recordings-of-js-bachs-brandenburg-concertos-300x198.png",300,198,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/02\/the-best-recordings-of-js-bachs-brandenburg-concertos.png",558,368,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/02\/the-best-recordings-of-js-bachs-brandenburg-concertos.png",558,368,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/02\/the-best-recordings-of-js-bachs-brandenburg-concertos.png",558,368,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/02\/the-best-recordings-of-js-bachs-brandenburg-concertos.png",558,368,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Oliver Condy Published: Tuesday, 27 February 2024 at 15:33 PM The Brandenburg Concertos are breathtaking in their instrumentation, counterpoint and orchestral texture. Here are recordings that bring out the best in these wonderful works. Best classical music for beginners The Brandenburg Concertos are one of the greatest musical CVs ever assembled. In 1721 Bach…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/39507"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

The best recordings of JS Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos<\/h2>