Bach 2000

The ultimate collection of the complete music of J.S. Bach. Having all of Bach's music at my fingertips is a dream come true. This astonishing collection of music is a historic event. Teldec has compiled an excellent collection of all the works of J.S. Bach, from well-known to the obscure, performed by a wide variety of highly respected musicians. There are many, many treasures included in this collection, for example: the cello suites performed by Nikolaus Harnoncourt now on cd for the first time. And the 4-cd set of chorales is stunning.

That's all that needs to be said! You should buy this album if you like bach, if you like brass, if you like piano. This is a magnificant performance of an excellent transcription. It explores the rich warm textures of the Canadian Brass without compromising the original ideas that bach wrote. It was recorded in a huge church, so at the very end the last full chord seems to drift upward until it completely fades! If you like classical transcriptions and arrangements for brass quintet, you more than likely have a lot of exciting, fast-paced albums in your collection. For a change of pace, buy this album - you won't be disappointed.

With various record labels compiling complete works to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the death of Bach, EMI's more accessible approach is this luxurious anthology of the Baroque master's sacred music. Over two and a half hours, this program encompasses the grand scale of the Magnificat in D (BWV 243) and Missa Brevis in A (BWV 234). Between these are scared cantatas, the very popular choral Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (BWV 140) contrasting with sensitive solo vocal writing in Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen (BWV 12); motets; arias; and an organ prelude and fugue. It's a well-balanced program, covering every aspect of Bach's church music except the Passions.

A superb 4 CD set of Sinfonie Concertanti and oboe concertos by J C Bach. Played by Lajos Lencies, Janos Balint, Bela Banfalvi with the Budapest Strings. This a wonderful collection of these suplime works, presented at a very special price.