Marc Hantai: Bach – Concerti pour clavecin BWV1044,1052,1054 (FLAC)

Performer: Marc Hantai
Orchestra: Le Concert Francais
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: FLAC (tracks+cue)
Label: Naive Astree
Size: 403 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

01. Concerto for harpsichord, strings & continuo No. 3 in D major, BWV 1054: Allegro
02. Concerto for harpsichord, strings & continuo No. 3 in D major, BWV 1054: Adagio e piano sempre
03. Concerto for harpsichord, strings & continuo No. 3 in D major, BWV 1054: Allegro
04. Prelude and Fugue, for keyboard No. 23 in B major (WTC II/23), BWV 892 (BC L126): Prelude
05. Prelude and Fugue, for keyboard No. 23 in B major (WTC II/23), BWV 892 (BC L126): Fugue
06. Concerto for harpsichord, strings & continuo No. 1 in D minor, BWV 1052: Allegro
07. Concerto for harpsichord, strings & continuo No. 1 in D minor, BWV 1052: Adagio
08. Concerto for harpsichord, strings & continuo No. 1 in D minor, BWV 1052: Allegro
09. Prelude and Fugue, for keyboard No. 11 in F major (WTC II/11), BWV 880 (BC L114): Prelude in F major
10. Prelude and Fugue, for keyboard No. 11 in F major (WTC II/11), BWV 880 (BC L114): Fugue in F major
11. Concerto for flute, violin, harpsichord, strings & continuo in A minor (‘Triple’), BWV 1044: [Part 1]
12. Concerto for flute, violin, harpsichord, strings & continuo in A minor (‘Triple’), BWV 1044: [Part 2]
13. Concerto for flute, violin, harpsichord, strings & continuo in A minor (‘Triple’), BWV 1044: [Part 3]

Audiophile Sound, Absolutely Glorious Performances

I purchased this CD because it was awarded “Disc of the Month” status in a German-language early music magazine soon after it appeared on the market. And when I heard it, I knew why! The whole production was a marvellous success: 1. The musicians of Le Concert Francais obviously had a great time playing together. Their interpretation has obviously grown out of their joy in making music together and their love of Bach. Every note is “just so”, the rhythms and tempi are perfectly combined and show forth the chosen pieces in the very best possible light. 2. Pierre Hantai has chosen a wonderfully clean-sounding copy by Bruce Kennedy of a German harpsichord by Mietke of Berlin. Both the concertos and the harpsichord solo pieces achieve a beauty of sound seldom heard in this clarity. This, of course, also has to do with Hantai’s playing, which is extremely tasteful and never sentimental or over-decorated. 3. The digital recording by Nicolas Bartholomée is a miracle of perfect sound. The instruments are captured from nearby, but without there ever being the feeling of being over-present. There is all the detail one could ever desire coupled with all the breadth of panorama and overview one could ask for. This is sheer excellence of engineering!

The CD contains two of Bach’s Harpsichord Concertos, BWV 1052 and BWV 1054, both of which were originally written as violin concertos and re-worked by Bach himself. The Triple Concerto BWV 1044 is here considered as a re-worked transcription of Bach material by Gottfried Müthel, one of Bach’s pupils, who may have been responsible for the slow movement himself: the notes claim that the musicians on this recording felt while playing that this was not “Bach’s hand”. The two preludes and fugues for harpsichord solo BWV 880 and 892 are placed so as to give the CD as a whole a regular pattern of concerto – solo – concerto – solo – concerto.

If you are looking for Bach’s Harpsichord Concertos in their entirety, you should turn to the 3-CD box by The English Concert/Trevor Pinnock (Deutsche Grammophon Archiv). But if you want to listen to a selection in brilliant historical performance and in audiophile quality, you will doubtless be more than happy with this fortuitous French CD.

Astonishing !

I never listened to these concertos of J.S. Bach played like that ! Pierre Hantaï (hapsichord and conducting) is so perfect than I have to admitt he gave me the opportunity to love, as never before, some of the slow movements of those concertos. The adagio of BWV 1054 makes me cry with joy. Trully. And to be honnest, this recording of the 1044 is extremely different of the versions of “The English Consert” or of the ” Musica Antiqua Köln” or of the most recent recording of “Akademie für Alte Mucic of Berlin”. The “Triple concerto” is so beautiful, so refreshing, so pure. Yes, Pierre Hantaî and “Le Concert Français ” are the pureness at his summit. Not far from the Garden of Eden.
The sound is also sublime. You”ll hear everything clearly. A great honour for me to listen to this french ensemble.