Brilliant Classics Bach recordings
Martin
Further to my recent post about Brilliant Classics, I wonder if you
would be kind enough to recommend some of the Brilliant Classics Bach
recordings?
Until recently, Zweitausendeins were offering the complete Bach
Edition (160 CDs) for 99 Euros, but sadly have sold out and don't
think they will get any more stock in the near future. They do however
have the individual boxes that make up the set.
I have read mixed reviews of the cantatas (60 cd set) but how good are
the other sets in the Bach Edition?
I don't have much Bach - The Passions on Archiv (Gardiner) and some
piano recordings by Perahia.
I feel I need to explore Bach a bit further and the Brilliant sets
look great value.
Can anyone help me separate the wheat from the chaff?
The secular cantata set has had good reviews, so I'll probably give
that a try.
Thanks for your advice.
Martin
Raymond Hall
news:6fb4afff.04020...@posting.google.com...
| Hi
|
| Further to my recent post about Brilliant Classics, I wonder if you
| would be kind enough to recommend some of the Brilliant Classics Bach
| recordings?
| Until recently, Zweitausendeins were offering the complete Bach
| Edition (160 CDs) for 99 Euros, but sadly have sold out and don't
| think they will get any more stock in the near future. They do however
| have the individual boxes that make up the set.
| I have read mixed reviews of the cantatas (60 cd set) but how good are
| the other sets in the Bach Edition?
| I don't have much Bach - The Passions on Archiv (Gardiner) and some
| piano recordings by Perahia.
I'll vouch for the Secular Cantatas (Weltliche Kantaten). I enjoy this 8 CD
set very much, and consists of performances licensed from Edel, all directed
by Peter Schreier and his Berlin forces. Good vocalists too (Mathis, Augér,
Popp, Adam, Watkinson, etc.).
The four Passions are enjoyable too, with the St. Matthew and St. John
passions done by Cleobury. Excellent vocalists again, and a great way to
introduce oneself to these great works.
Leusink is variable (apparently from reports), but some of his cantatas are
very good. I like the sound of the Holland Boys Choir, and several of
Leusink's cantatas appear on one of the Vocal boxes Vol II, which, btw,
contains a fine Christmas oratorio (consists of 3 CDs) and directed by
Martin Flämig.
I like Hans Fagius complete organ works too (from BIS), very well recorded
on several Swedish organs, although his rather direct approach doesn't
enamour some here.
Regards,
# http://www.users.bigpond.com/hallraylily/index.html
See You Tamara (Ozzy Osbourne)
Ray, Taree, NSW
Andy Evans
else. I'm happy with the Harnoncourt/Leonhardt set, myself.
=== Andy Evans ===
Visit our Website:- http://www.artsandmedia.com
Audio, music and health pages and interesting links.
Blade Shankland
Get the Hans Fagius organ cds. Fine playing, great sound (except the Kristine
church organ). And sell your Perahia records!
Blade
Thomas Wood
"Blade Shankland" <stinki...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:36856dbe.04020...@posting.google.com...
Keep Perahia and avoid Fagius. I have one of the volumes (Clavieru:bung III
and other works) in the original BIS release, and I find Fagius' playing
slow and stodgy, and the instrument he plays weak and wheezy.
Tom Wood
Richard Loeb
dramatic, get the Chapuis.
"Thomas Wood" <woo...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:bTVVb.6879$fV5.2...@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
Richard Bernas
more than some of the over-acted Jacobs recordings.
The Sacred Cantats are pretty competitive, IMO.
For: soprano Ruth Holton and bass Bas Remselaar are very fine. The
Holland Boys Choir is excellent, much better overall than the boys
choirs on Teldec's series.
The instrumental playing is generally more secure than on the
early-HIP Teldec cycle but not quite as accomplished as on Koopman's
issues. Leusink sounds more like a Leonhardt than a Harnoncourt. He
rarely "scores points" but he doesn't have H's moments of brilliance,
either.
Against: None of the countertenors is really good and the tenor
soloists are variable. Harnoncourt does better here, though I can't
listen to his tenor (Equiluz) for more than two Cantatas at a time.
In all the Brilliant recordings of the Sacred Cantatas - I've sampled
about 50% of the set - are somewhat plain, but that's a virtue for me
in this repertory. They are honest, unpretentious and more than worth
their price. I've enjoyed them.
Richard
Johan van Veen
"Martin" <mar...@apthorpes.fsnet.co.uk> schreef in bericht
news:6fb4afff.04020...@posting.google.com...
> Hi
>
> Further to my recent post about Brilliant Classics, I wonder if you
> would be kind enough to recommend some of the Brilliant Classics Bach
> recordings?
The organ sets are very good.
The harpsichord sets are generally good. Really bad is Joseph Payne in the
French Suites, and the WTC with Léon Berben isn't really good, whereas the
feelings about Menno van Delft (Kunst der Fuge, Toccatas) are mixed. I find
him pretty unimaginative.
Pieter-Jan Belder is great (Clavier-Übung I & II, Goldberg-Variations,
Inventions & Sinfonias, Sonatas, Suites etc) and so are Bob van Asperen
(English Suites) and Pieter Dirksen (Concerto transcriptions).
Forget the rest. Chamber music is only partly HIP, and most of them are
mediocre at best.
The sacred works are generally not very good, with the exception of the
reconstruction of the St Mark Passion, which is very much worth having.
--
Johan van Veen
Utrecht (Netherlands)
jvv...@wanadoo.nl
musica Dei donum
http://www.geocities.com/johan_van_veen/