Bach - Brandenburg Concertos / Rousset, AAM, Hogwood
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Free Music Notes for Bach - Brandenburg Concertos / Rousset, AAM, Hogwood
Free Music Review: One of The Oldest of the New Versions
Hit: 4 Stars
It was with pleasure that I noted that the Hogwood versions of the Brandenburg's are still available. It is easy to forget that these were a strike out onto the holy ground of original instruments and scoring and were somewhat revolutionary at their recording.Bach selected work originally done for Prince Leopold's orchestra at Cothen and revised these six concerti to suit the Margrave's limited resources at Brandenburg. Because Bach's objectives were often to achieve textural as well as thematic variations, several of the concerti exist in multiple revisions. All of this makes the conductor's choices difficult if scholarship is important. Hogwood has made sensible rather than radical decisions, and we are very likely enjoying the music as the Margrave did originally.
The performances are intense. Tempos are a bit faster than traditional tempo's of the time and the musicianship is right on for the most part. We often forget that original instruments where a bit more difficult to steer than their modern heirs. Horns had some odd notes in their range, and oboes were often used in trumpetlike passages. The orchestra and soloists do an excellent job of managing these difficulties.
Sound is dry, but complex. Original instruments provide resonant sonorities that can be delightful, but are rarely earthmoving. The inner movement of the parts is quite audible which makes these versions especially interesting. The recording itself is typical of the early 1980's, which means that it could be a bit better. Sonics are clear, but I wish that there was a bit more directionality and spatial sense.
The price makes this one of the best Brandenburg buys available. An excellent purchase for the student.
Free Music Review: These Brandenburgs not for beginners, but it's Hogwood.
Hit: 3 Stars
If you are seeking those "standard" versions often recorded more than 20 years ago, heard on movie soundtraks, and--well, as you remember the notes when you were forced to listen during music appreciation in grammar school, then you may be a victim of the ugly duckling syndrome, and these recordings may not be for you. You might consider the less expensive VOX BOX series as your primer, but if you are ready for the next level, meet Mr. Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music. Mr. Hogwood is the pop-culture equivilant of Harrison Ford: rarely is "Han Solo" in a bad movie, and rarely does Mr. Hogwood produce poor music (although Trevor Pinnock is early music's Michael Jordon--I really will weep when he hangs-up his baton. Say it aint so, Trevor). The irony, the liner notes tell us, is that these recordings of the Brandenburg Concertos aren't really Brandenburgs after all. They may as well be called Cothen Concertos, the court for which the Brandenburgs, we are told, were originally written and performed. These hundreds of years, the Brandenburgs, a misnomer! This thunderbolt of historical news was, evidently, not enough to persuade the bean counters at PolyGram to label these CD's by thier now revealed "correct" name, one presumes, because CD's marked Bach's Cothen Concertos probably wouldn't sell. But wait, my friends! Good things may be afoot, for much of what we think of as true or faithful recordings of early music, have, in fact, been corrupted for reasons far too numerous to mention here. The attempt with Hogwood's recordings is to produce Bach's music closer to his original intentions (this is not an oxymoran, my freinds, for in the lifetime of a composer, he may alter his works with different intentions). This means using, after investigation, what are believed to be something closer to original manuscripts or quite intelligent reconstructions, adhereing to Bach's compliment of 16 musicians at Cothen, and using instruments constructed using the same materials and methods as in the days of early music. If you are very familiar with the "standard" Brandeburg recordings, then you will view these CD's as musical revisionism or musical correction. Perhaps, the most noticable "corrections" are the elimination--based upon sound evidence--of an entire movement from Con. #1 and the decision to relieve us of a long harpsichord solo from Con. #5 that I have always found to be--in those "standard" recordings--within the context of an otherwise sublime concerto, just plain loony: an Amtak train screeching to a halt for a red light. In the case of Hogwood's Cothen-Brandenburgs, less is more, or, perhaps, more acurately, better. For those unfamiliar with ensmebles dedicated to recreating the sound of the music as when the first audiences heard them, the sound, at first, may seem unusual, but it is intimate, as the court performances were, and preferred to the loud recordings of a few decades ago. Those recordings make Bach sound as if he were a Revolutionary composer, at times seeming to register the same decibels as the modern composers and their gang of 101 muscians. Some of you may find period instruments to sound sublime; others may find the sound just plain weird. The overtones are significantly different, and, therefore, you will view this as a travesty or as new life being given to these familiar works. Also, and I know there are detractors, I am a convert to the DDD (all digital) process employed in these discs as opposed to the analogue method. I am aware of the compromises, but to my ears, DDD comes closer to a live perfomance. I enjoy early music ensembles' attempt at authenticity, although I know there are detractors here, as well. The Hogwood CD's are to augment an existing Bach collection, but BEWARE: these CD's contain (gasp!)previously released material, that constant irritant of the classical music industry. So, know your collection well, or you may end up paying for recordings that are in your cool CD tower right now. You may even find yourself alternating between the "standard" versions already on your shelf on one day and these "corrected" versions on another, for there is much to love about both. It is, after all, Bach.Free Music Review: Bach "The Real Thing"
Hit: 5 Stars
I thought Christopher Hogwoods version ofthe Brandenburg Concertos was fantasic. I enjoyed the sound of the authentic instruments. Even though some other listeners commented on the horn sounds being sloppy, I found the sound richer than the more commercial versions.Free Music Review: This album is misleading
Hit: 2 Stars
I was somewhat annoyed to find, after opening and listening to this album, that there are some noticable differences from the traditional versions of the Brandenburg concertos. I'm no classical music expert, but even I could hear the changes! After reading the liner notes, I discovered that this version uses variant texts of the concertos that C. Hogwood or whoever thinks are more authentic. That's very nice if you're a student of all the minor variations in Bach's work, but I just wanted to hear the standard Brandenburg concertos that I love. It was very misleading that the changes are not disclosed anywhere on the outside of the CD or on Amazon.com's description of it.Free Music Review: Disappointing to a Bach-lover
Hit: 3 Stars
While this set has some good ideas (playing on era-original instruments) the recordings are flawed by two significant problems. 1. There are numerous problems with the horns, from sloppy, inarticulate tongue technique to positively poor intonation which is the most distracting element. 2. The rest of the orchestra (and conductor), while technically ok, lack the vitallity which is the hallmark of Bach's work. I found the almost-timid arrangements to be boring. I will not be keeping this album.