Play Bach Sacd

Johann Sebastian Bach - St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244
The Netherlands Bach Society - Jos van Veldhoven
EAC+LOG+CUE | 3x FLAC: 670 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Channel Classics # CCS SA 32511 | Country/Year: Netherlands 2011
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque

…Whatever other recordings you may have in your library, Veldhoven’s inspired reading, with its exceptional blend of committed musicianship and scholarship should definitely be auditioned by all who love this work. This is without doubt a top recommendation and anyone receiving this set, as an Easter gift, will surely be delighted.

For this hybrid SACD of famous organ works by J.S. Bach, Masaaki Suzuki plays the restored Schnitger-Hinz organ in the Martinikerk (Martin's Church), in Groningen, one of the most celebrated instruments in the Netherlands and one which dates back to Bach's time. Its bright, Baroque sonorities and Suzuki's historically informed interpretations give these performances a compelling sense of authenticity and period style. The pieces are among Bach's greatest hits, particularly the Toccata and Fugue in D minor, which gives the program a decisive opening. Following that flashy demonstration, Suzuki is relaxed and almost contemplative in the Pastorale in F major, and continues his thoughtful readings in the Partita on "O Gott, du frommer Gott," the Prelude and Fugue in G minor, and the Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her." Yet he includes two sparkling virtuoso performances in the Fantasia in G major and the Prelude and Fugue in E minor, which keep the album from being too soft and subdued. BIS' super audio sound is crisp and detailed, which is no mean feat in a church recording.

Vivaldi augmented his reputation as The Red Priest with L'Estro Armonico , Op. 3, a collection of twelve concertos for one, two and four violins. The title of the collection encapsulates the qualities that so entranced Vivaldi's contemporaries. L Estro Armonico , which might be translated as musical rapture , reflects the vitality and freshness of Vivaldi's invention: its rhythmic energy, melodic and harmonic intensity,textural sensuousness,performative brilliance and dramatic flair.

Following a rock/metal album recorded with his band ORBI [BIS-2297], Bram van Sambeek returns with his own idea of a dance album. For it he has selected four works by Johann Sebastian Bach that consist mainly of typical baroque dances - but just as van Sambeek's metal album wasn't made for headbanging, Bach's dances weren't meant for dancing, but rather to be listened to. The album opens with van Sambeek's own arrangement of the celebrated Partita in C minor for keyboard which he describes in his liner notes as one of his favorite works to listen to.

Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonies Nos. 1-9 / Leonore Overture No. 2 / Triple Concerto
Gordan Nikolitch / Lars Vogt / London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus / Bernard Haitink
SACD ISO: 24,81 GB (Stereo & MCH) | FLAC @ 24bit/88.2kHz: 6,73 GB | Artwork | 5% Rec. Info
Label/Cat#: LSO Live # LSO0598 | Country/Year: UK 2006
Genre: Classical | Style: Viennese School, Orchestral

"…I will treasure this set until the end of my days, and hope others will attain the same joy from it after I am gone." ~SA-CD.net

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Cassations G-Dur KV 63 & B-Dur KV 99 & Divertimento D-Dur KV 205
La Petite Bande / Sigiswald Kuijken
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 356 MB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Accent # ACC 24187 | Country/Year: Belgium 2006
Genre: Classical | Style: Viennese School

…With a bright tone, buoyant tempos, piquant intonation, effortless ensemble, and relaxed virtuosity, the 12 musicians of La Petite Bande play together with exactly the kind of elegant brilliance and elevated intelligence the music requires. Under Kuijken's hands, these works, composed by the teenage Mozart, sound fresh, witty, tender, and altogether endearing. As delightful an addition to any Mozart shelf as it would be a welcome relief from the spiritual rigors of Bach's cantatas, this disc will please just about every classical enthusiast, especially in Accent's clear, deep 2006 digital sound.