J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concertos

Review: MusicWebInternational Review: Fanfare CD 1 J.S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV1046 I. No tempo indication II. Adagio III. Allegro IV. Menuetto-Trio I – Polacca- Trio II Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Alois Melichar Soloist: Szymon Goldberg, Violin – Gustav Kern, oboe Polyphon 27313 – 15, Mtx.: 691 BE8, 692 BE8, 740 BE8 – 742 BE8. Rec 1932 Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV1047  I. No tempo indication. Melichar gives Allegro II. Andante III. Allegro assai Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Alois Melichar Soloists: Paul Spörri, trumpet – Albert Harzer, flflute – Gustav Kern, Oboe Szymon Goldberg, Violin – Hans Bottermund, cello Polyphon 27293 – 94. Mtx. : 1251 BI 8 – 1254 BI8. Rec 1932 Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV1048 I. No tempo indication. Furtwängler gives Allegro con spirito II Allegro assai. Furtwängler gives only allegro Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Wilhelm Furtwängler Polyphon 95417 – 18. Mtx.: 1104 BI1 – 1106 BI1. Rec 1930 Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major, BWV1049 Allegro II. Andante III. Presto Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Alois Melichar Soloists: Heinrich Breiden and Albert Harzer, flutes Polydor 27307 – 09. Mtx.: 699 BE8 – 703 BE8. Rec 1933   CD 2 J.S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV1050 I. Allegro II. Affettuoso III. Allegro Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Alois Melichar Soloists: Siegfried Borries, violin – Friedrich Thomas, flute – Franz Rupp, cembalo Polydor 15073 – 76. Mtx.: 461 GS8 – 467 GS8. Rec 1934 Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B flat Major, BWV1051 I. No tempo indication. Melichar gives allegro II. Adagio ma non tanto III. Allegro Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Alois Melichar Soloists: Reinhard Wolf and Kurt Oberländer, viola – Paul and Sylvia Grümmer, viole da gamba Wolfgang Kleber, cello – Hermann Menzel, bass – Eta Harich-Schneider, harpsichord Polydor 15066 – 67, Mtx.: 749 GE8 – 752 GE8. Rec 1934 Bonus tracks: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV1048 Goosens only states Part 1 & 2 Goosens only states Part 3 Royal Albert Hall Orchestra Conductor: Eugene Goossens HMV D683 – 84, Mtx.: Cc1535 – 37. Rec 1922 or 23 Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV1048 I. No tempo indication and Høeberg gives none II. Høeberg gives no tempo indication III. Høeberg gives no tempo indication Berlin State Opera Orchestra Conductor: Georg Høeberg Nordisk Polyphon S 200004 – 006. Mtx.: 1629as – 1631as. Rec 1924   Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV565 arr. Melichar Berliner Philharmoniker Conductor: Alois Melichar Polyphon 15243Mtx.: 1044 GS 9 – 1045 GS9. Rec 1939   In the late romantic era there was little or no interest in Bach’s instrumental music. But after the great upheaval which occurred in music especially in the first decade of the 20th century, there was a gradual resurgence of interest. In the years after 1920 this interest was evident with the issuing of gramophone records. Until 1926 records were made without the use of microphones, amplifiers or other electrical equipment. It was the sound itself, captured by a large horn, which generated the energy to transmit the music or speech to the grooves. This method of recording is called acoustical as opposed to electrical, which was wholly predominant after 1926. Considerations of space preclude an explanation of the process of recording and manufacture, even though in itself it is of great interest, so let it suffice to say that far from all types of music were suitable for acoustical recording. The human voice was in fact the best suited to this process. Partly because the considerably limited frequency range did not matter so much, because it actually covered the range which is most important for reproducing the human voice, and partly because it was easy to place the singer or speaker in a favourable position near to the horn, unlike, for example, a larger group of instruments. But the limited frequency range meant that the characteristic sound of certain instruments was so obliterated that, for example, in the higher ranges it could be difficult to hear the difference between a violin and a flute. In general, strings were difficult to reproduce, and not until the beginning of the 1920s had recording technique become sufficiently advanced to make it possible to make acoustically recorded orchestral records of an acceptable quality. © Claus Byrith RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 2024 CATALOGUE NUMBER: DACOCD 975 EAN: 5709499975008 Download BOOKLET (PDF) Related