J.s. Bach Orchestral Works & Chamber Music

Bach composed in Leipzig the biggest part of his cantatas. A cantata is a composition in several parts for one or more voices and instruments, where arias, recitatives and chorusses alternate. Often these were preceded by an instrumental introduction, a sinfonia. In Bach's earliest cantatas these were also called concerto, sonata or sonatina. These instrumental works are collected on this album.

The Russian-born violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky, who founded the New European Strings Chamber Orchestra in 1990, has enthusiastically practiced the art of transcription for many years, producing more than 25 new string arrangements of chamber and keyboard works. This is Sitkovetsky’s first project for Nonesuch, a creative adaptation of Bach’s Goldberg Variations for strings, cast a fresh light on that formidable monument of keyboard music. The New York Times called it “robust, joyous and full of insight.”

This is Volume 2 in Chandos' series of orchestral works by Johann Friedrich Fasch, a contemporary of J.S. Bach and Telemann. In his day, his output in terms of cantatas, concertos, symphonies, and chamber music was performed extensively across the German-speaking world, and Fasch was held in great esteem by Bach who owned copies of six of his orchestral suites, and arranged at least one of his piano trio sonatas for organ.

J.S.Bach - Concertos For Violin, Concerto For Two Violins, Concerto For Violin & Oboe - Josef Suk (1988)
EAC Rip | FLAC (img + cue), LOG | TT 65:32 | Covers (jpg 300 dpi) | RAR 357 MB (3% Recovery)
Supraphon | Czechoslovakia | 11 0642-2 011 | 1988

The soloist in all the concertos of our recording is Josef Suk (1929), the grandson of the composer Josef Suk (1874-1935) and great- grandson of Antonin Dvorak. Since 1954, he has been pursuing an uninterrupted and diversified solo career and has become the most eminent Czech violin virtuoso of his generation. Suk's partner in Bach's Concerto for Two Violins is the Czech violin virtuoso Ladislav Jasek (1929), who has been active in Australia since the early 1970's. The oboe part in the Double Concerto in D minor BWV 1060a is played by Jan Adamus (1951).

While this cannot be a first-choice recording of the Bach Overtures (Suites), it's certainly a worthy addition to any collector's Bach shelf. Citing numerous examples of recent research, including conductor Siegbert Rampe's own, along with articles by Dirst, Rifkin, and Wolff, Rampe and his excellent period-instrument ensemble Nova Stravaganza strive to show what may have been the original forms of these four famous works. That means we get to hear suites Nos. 3 and 4 without trumpets and timpani; suite No. 2 played in A minor instead of the usual B minor–and with a solo violin rather than flute; and suite No. 1 as "a simple septet"–two oboes, two solo violins, solo viola, bassoon, and harpsichord (reinforced "in accordance with period practice" by 16' violone).

Johann Sebastian Bach - Cafe Zimmermann - Concerts avec plusieurs instruments II
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 325 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Alpha # 048 | Country/Year: Germany 2003
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque

The best thing about this release by Cafe Zimmerman – better than the stupendous performances, better than the glorious sound, better than the brilliant programming, better than the intelligent liner notes, and better even than the gorgeous reproduction of Andre Bouys' Servant Polishing the Silver on the cover – is the fact that it's the second release in a cycle of the complete concertos for diverse instruments by Bach. Led by violinist Pablo Valetti, Cafe Zimmerman is a lean and lovely period instrument chamber orchestra with impeccable ensemble, amazing virtuosity, incredible sensitivity, and endless nuances of tone and color…