Recordings of Bach Cantatas
General Discussions - Part 9: Year 2005-3

Continue from Part 9: Year 2005-2

Top 3 Bach Recordings of 2005?

Drew Point wrote (December 18, 2005):
We are only two weeks away from the beginning of 2006.

In keeping with the name of our discussion group -- Bach Recordings -- I think it would be edificational for listmembers to share their favorite recordings (new or re-issue) of 2005.

Does anyone wish to begin?

Shelly wrote (December 19, 2005):
[To Drew Point] Barenboim - WTC

Drew Point wrote (December 19, 2005):
Dear Fellow Bachians,

Here's a recap of Bach recordings critically acclaimed by Gramophone, BBC Music and Classical FM in 2005 . . .

GRAMOPHONE RECORD OF THE YEAR:

Cantatas Vol.1 / Gardiner, The Monteverdi Choir & English Baroque Soloists

GRAMOPHONE "EDITOR'S CHOICES":

January: Cantatas for Bass / Quasthoff, Berliner Barock Solisten

March: Cantatas Vol.1 / Gardiner, The Monteverdi Choir & English Baroque Soloists

August (Recording of the Month): Keyboard Works (Toccata in D major BWV 912 / Choral Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland in G minor BWV 659 / Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue in D minor BWV 903 + Transcriptions by Busoni, Liszt + Liszt Keyboard Works) / Lise de la Salle

September (Recording of the Month): Keyboard Concertos, Vol. I / Hewitt, Australian Chamber Orchestra

October: Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II / Barenboim

November: Brandenburg Concertos / Alessandrini, Concerto Italiano

January 2006 (Recording of the Month): Cantatas Vol. 10 - BWV BWV 48/BWV 5/BWV 90/BWV 56 19^th Sunday after Trinity, BWV BWV 79/BWV 192/BWV 80 for the Feast of Reformation / Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir & English Baroque Soloists

BBC MUSIC "CHOICES"

January (Disc of the Month): Cantatas for Bass / Quasthoff, Berliner Barock Solisten

March (Disc of the Month): "Lamento" (includes BWV 170, BWV 200 + Vocal Works by J.C. Bach, Conti, C.P.E. Bach, and J.C.F. Bach)

November (Disc of the Month): Brandenburg Concertos / Alessandrini, Concerto Italiano

CLASSICAL FM - "BEST BUYS"

March: Cantatas Vol.1 / Gardiner, The Monteverdi Choir & English Baroque Soloists

June: (DVD) The Well-Tempered Clavier / Gavrilov, McGregor, Demidenko, Hewitt

July: Keyboard Concertos, Vols. I and II / Hewitt, Australian Chamber Orchestra

November: Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II / Barenboim

December: Brandenburg Concertos / Alessandrini, Concerto Italiano

John Pike wrote (December 19, 2005):
[To Drew Point] The SDG 101 recording, Rinaldo Allessandrini's Brandenburgs and probably one of the other SDG recordings.

John Pike wrote (December 19, 2005):
[To Drew Point] Oh yes! I forgot. Angela Hewitt and the keyboard concertos would definitely be one of my top 3.

Sw Anandgyan wrote (December 19, 2005):
[To Drew Point] I was quite delighted with

- Brandenburg Concertos
/ R. Alessandrini, Concerto Italiano

- Cantatas BWV 198, BWV 106, BWV 196 and BWV 53
/ D. Fasolis, I Barocchisti

- Cantatas BWV 18, BWV 106 and BWV 150
/ P. Pierlot, Ricercar Consort

Oh! Carlos Mena ... and now to enjoy for recordings of his on the Mirare Label (The Bach family, some Vivaldi, Pergolesi and J.S.B.).

Bradley Lehman wrote (December 19, 2005):
< - Cantatas BWV 18, BWV 106 and BWV 150
/ P. Pierlot, Ricercar Consort
Oh! Carlos Mena ... and now to enjoy for recordings of his on the Mirare Label >
Where can this one be ordered from a US distributor?

Bradley Lehman wrote (December 20, 2005):
< In keeping with the name of our discussion group -- Bach Recordings -- I think it would be edificational for listmembers to share their favorite recordings (new or re-issue) of 2005. >
Peter Watchorn's WTC 1. It is set for release early in 2006 but already (nearly) complete in production. I have heard a preliminary version of it, and IMO it is extraordinarily beautiful. He recorded it strictly in sequence: with a unified view of the whole book, making a nice case for the piece being a cycle for straight-through performance. He used a pedalboard for parts of it to emphasize some of the counterpoint and the long held bass notes, and what a thrilling bass that gives as the music builds up! He will then be recording book 2 in the spring, likewise.

Gerald Hambitzer's harpsichord disc "Bach and Silbermann" that I reviewed in the November issue of Early Music. A "read online" link to the review is here: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl/essays.html

For a more general audience I wrote a set of reviews for last week's issue of Christian Century magazine. Approximately a page and a half, featuring various recordings from Purcell to Schoenberg to Herrmann. There my Bach picks were M Kozena's "Lamento" disc (cantata BWV 170), and Gardiner's new 2-disc set that includes cantatas BWV 138/BWV 99/BWV 100/BWV 51/BWV 161/BWV 27/BWV 8/BWV 95....and the reissue of the 1991 Swingle Singers album of Bach & Mozart.

Drew Point wrote (December 20, 2005):
[Tio Bradley Lehman] Thank you for the detailed response. I have a few questions
(inserted below):

Bradley Lehman wrote:
< Peter Watchorn's WTC 1. It is set for release early in 2006 but already (nearly) complete in production. I have heard a preliminary version of it, and IMO it is extraordinarily beautiful. >
This sounds very interesting. I quite enjoyed Watchorn's English Suites (the subject of his dissertation, no?) and his Toccatas (recorded for Hänssler's "Bach Edition"). Can you provide some more information on the WTK recording? What label? Any sound samples? Release date, etc.?

< Gerald Hambitzer's harpsichord disc "Bach and Silbermann" that I reviewed in the November issue of Early Music. >
What is a good US- or Europe-based website that would sell this recording?

< There my Bach picks were M Kozena's "Lamento" disc (cantata BWV 170) >
We have been discussing "brisk" tempi (in reference to Alessandrini's Brandenburgs and Gardiner's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248)) -- what are your thoughts on Goebel's take on the opening movement of "Vernuegte Ruh"? The tempo startled me at first, but Kozena seems to make it work [?]

Continue on Part 10: Year 2006

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