Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concertos (SDG Audio CD 2-disc set)

Artists:
English Baroque Soloists
Kati Debretzeni
John Eliot Gardiner

“You can hand the palm to Vivaldi for the mysterious pathos of [Bach's] slow movements and the surface brilliance of his foot-tapping rhythms, but when it comes to hitting a propulsive rhythmic groove, no-one is a match for JS Bach." - John Eliot Gardiner (excerpt from John Eliot Gardiner’s notes)

• John Eliot Gardiner and his superb period-instrument chamber orchestra, English Baroque Soloists, record their unique interpretation of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos for the very first time.

• Gardiner only conducts two of the six concertos but rehearsed the others with the players. The responsibility of performing the remaining four is left to the hand-picked musicians of the English Baroque Soloists led by the brilliant, Kati Debretzeni, a true Konzertmeisterin and the inspirational presiding virtuoso of this project.

• This recording follows a phenomenal 11-concert residency at the Spitalfieds Music Winter Festival in December 2008 and January 2009. John Eliot Gardiner led the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir in performances of JS Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Brandenburg Concertos and Motets. Every concert was well received by public and press alike, with standing ovations from the sell-out audiences and high critical acclaim:

“Gardiner encouraged rampaging exuberance from his excellent horns, subtle dynamic variations from oboes and strings, and some unusually complex phrasing…delivered with such conviction.” – The Times

• The six “Brandenburg” Concertos, described by Bach as ‘Concertos for several instruments’, are widely regarded as among the finest musical compositions of the Baroque. Now considered a benchmark of Baroque music, the concertos still have the power to move people almost three centuries later.

• The booklet includes a long note by John Eliot Gardiner entitled ‘A conductor-less slant on the Brandenburg Concertos’ and entries by each member of the English Baroque Soloists where they discuss their personal experience of recording the Brandenburg Concertos.