Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Orchestra: The English Concert
Conductor: Trevor Pinnock
Number of Discs: 8 CD box set
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Archiv
Catalogue: 4779510
Release: 2011
Size: 2.49 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
CD 01
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV1046
01. I. Allegro
02. II. Adagio
03. III. Allegro
04. IV. Menuet – V. Trio – VI. Polonaise – VII. Trio
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV1047
05. I. Allegro
06. II. Andante
07. III. Allegro assai
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV1048
08. I. Allegro
09. II. Adagio (BWV. 1019a)
10. III. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV1049
11. I. Allegro
12. II. Andante
13. III. Presto
CD 02
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV1050
01. I. Allegro (I)
02. II. Affettuoso
03. III. Allegro (II)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B flat major, BWV1051
04. I. Allegro
05. II. Adagio ma non tanto
06. III. Allegro
Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C major, BWV1066
07. I. Ouverture
08. II. Courante
09. III. Gavotte I alternativement – IV. Gavotte II
10. V. Forlane
11. VI. Menuet I alternativement – VII. Menuet II
12. VIII. Bourrée I alternativement – IX. Bourée II
13. X. Passepied I alternativement – XI. Passepied II
CD 03
Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV1067
01. I. Ouverture
02. II. Rondeau
03. III. Sarabande
04. IV. Bourrée I alternativement – V. (Bourrée) II
05. VI. Polonaise – VIa. Double
06. VII. Menuet
07. VIII. Badinerie
Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV1068
08. I. Ouverture – Vite
09. II. Air
10. III. Gavotte I alternativement – IV. (Gavotte) II
11. V. Bourrée
12. VI. Gigue
Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D major, BWV1069
13. I. Ouverture
14. II. Bourrée I alternativement – III. Bourrée II
15. IV. Gavotte
16. V. Menuet I alternativement – VI. Menuet II
17. VII. Réjouissance
CD 04
Keyboard Concerto No. 1 in D minor, BWV1052
01. I. Allegro
02. II. Adagio
03. III. Allegro
Keyboard Concerto No. 2 in E major, BWV1053
04. I. Allegro
05. II. Siciliano
06. III. Allegro
Keyboard Concerto No. 3 in D major, BWV1054
07. I. —
08. II. Adagio e piano sempre
09. III. Allegro
CD 05
Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in A major, BWV1055
01. I. Allegro moderato
02. II. Larghetto
03. III. Allegro ma non tanto
Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in F minor, BWV1056
04. I. Allegro
05. II. Largo
06. III. Presto
Concerto for Harpsichord & Two Recorders, BWV1057
07. I. —
08. II. Andante
09. III. Allegro assai
Keyboard Concerto No. 7 in G minor, BWV1058
10. I. —
11. II. Andante
12. III. Allegro assai
Concerto for Two Keyboards in C minor, BWV1060
13. I. Allegro
14. II. Adagio
15. III. Allegro
CD 06
Concerto for Two Keyboards in C major, BWV1061
01. I. —
02. II. Adagio ovvero Largo
03. III. Fuga
Concerto for Two Keyboards in C minor, BWV1062
04. I. —
05. II. Andante e piano
06. III. Allegro assai
Concerto for Three Keyboards in D minor, BWV1063
07. I. Allegro
08. II. Alla siciliana
09. III. Allegro
Concerto for Three Keyboards in C major, BWV1064
10. I. Allegro
11. II. Adagio
12. III. Allegro
Concerto for Four Keyboards in A minor (after Vivaldi), BWV1065
13. I. Allegro
14. II. Largo
15. III. Allegro
CD 07
Concerto for Flute, Violin & Harpsichord in A minor, BWV1044
01. I. Allegro
02. II. Adagio ma non tanto e dolce
03. III. Tempo di Allabreve
Concerto for Two Keyboards in C minor, BWV1060
04. I. Allegro
05. II. Adagio
06. III. Allegro
Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in A major, BWV1055
07. I. Allegro moderato
08. II. Larghetto
09. III. Allegro ma non tanto
CD 08
Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, BWV1041
01. I. Allegro moderato
02. II. Andante
03. III. Allegro assai
Violin Concerto No. 2 in E major, BWV1042
04. I. Allegro
05. II. Adagio
06. III. Allegro assai
Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV1043
07. I. Vivace
08. II. Largo ma non tanto
09. III. Allegro
All of the classic English Concert recordings in a single box for the first time, including the 6 Brandenburgs, the 4 Orchestral Suites, the 13 keyboard concertos, the 3 authenticated violin concertos and multiple instrument concertos. With soloists including Simon Standage, Philip Pickett, Lisa Beznosiuk and David Reichenberg.
Liner notes by Michael Talbot.
The English Concert’s recordings of Bach from the late 1970s and early 1980s have remained benchmarks of early music authentic-style performance.” These performances represent the peak of Pinnock’s achievement as an advocate of authentic performance, with sounds that are clear and refreshing … from first to last there is no routine…Soloists are outstanding.” The Penguin Guide.
In the early phase of the movement for authentic period practice, Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert were practically household names — in early music households, anyway — because of their critically acclaimed performances of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and other Baroque composers. These exciting recordings of the Brandenburg Concertos, the orchestral suites, the harpsichord concertos, the violin concertos, and concertos for various instruments were made between 1979 and 1984, so they are a mix of ADD and DDD recordings. Yet because of Archiv’s superb reproduction in both analog and digital technologies, these performances on original instruments are clean and crisp all the way through, with remarkable fidelity. What passes for historically informed style is open to change over the years, and many later performances of these works have demonstrated new ideas and approaches that are much freer in spirit. Indeed, Pinnock’s interpretations and the group’s technical execution can seem a bit straightlaced and fussy, when heard decades after their releases. But these were groundbreaking performances in their time, and everyone who followed early music knew that Pinnock would deliver meticulous and scintillating versions; as a result, these extraordinary recordings helped to shift public opinion in favor of authentic period style. This Archiv box set contains eight CDs, combining two previously released sets, with the CDs reissued with the same program format.