Wednesday, March 23, 2011

JS Bach: Solo & Double Violin Concertos - Podger, AAM, Manze

Johann Sebastian Bach
Solo & Double Violin Concertos
Rachel Podger, The Academy Of Ancient Music, Andrew Manze
Harmonia Mundi HMU907155

It's well known that most of Bach's harpsichord concertos began their lives as violin concertos. Since only three violin originals survive--the ones designated as BWV 1041-43--and since these are among his greatest instrumental works, musical scholars and performers have been reversing the process, turning the harpsichord concertos back into violin originals. BWV 1060 is one such case, a concerto for two harpsichords, which sounds much less clangy and bangy in this reconstructed version for two violins. Now Andrew Manze is simply the finest baroque violinist alive, and so this recording is self-recommending on that count alone. It's just about perfect.

David Hurwitz, Amazon Editorial Review

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