.com After about half a dozen years in limbo, Ton Koopman's marvelous 1983 readings with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra are back on the shelf at mid-price, though still on two single discs. The accent in these elegant, flowing performances is on variety--in the texture, in the ornamentation, and in matters of phrasing and articulation. The executants' voicing of the counterpoint is quite effective, as is their pointing of rhythm, which underscores the fact that so much of this music comes from the dance. Erato's sound is quite appealing, though the discs have been mastered at a rather high level. --Ted Libbey
P**Y
Fantastic Brandenburgs
Koopman's Brandenburg Concertos are never flashy; there is almost a sense that they are playing themselves. But virtuosic indeed they are, and I consider these performances to be among the best.
B**T
Excellent music and sound quality
This is the only version of any of the Brandenburg Concertos that I own, so this review will not be a comparison with any other version(s) of the Brandenburg Concertos.What I will say is that the sound quality of this disk is very full and vibrant. It feels almost like being in the room with the performers - the recording seems very close-up, but not so much that you are overwhelmed. All of the instruments are equally presented, and easy to pinpoint in the audio image. None of the performers seemed bloated or unusually out of proportion with reality. Every note was easily discernible, but there was also this silkiness to the whole disk that reminds me of vinyl, without the surface noise.Additionally, the performances seemed just perfectly sunny and quite competent. The whole affair gives a feeling of a laid-back afternoon on the lawn, maybe late in spring, listening to these wonderful players present a very upbeat (and sometimes mellow) series of pieces. The violins take center stage, but so do the harpsichords. The other instruments are given equal volume, but occupy different spots on the sonic stage.I've never liked harpsichords until I listened to this performance. The harpsichords on this disc sound and feel like strings plucked right out of still air - they are just pinpoints out in 3d space. The violins and all the other instruments are wonderfully recorded, the the harp's stole the show. Check out track #4, which I equate to being like "dueling harpsichords".There's another aspect associated with "dueling harpsichords" worth relaying, and that is the technical proficiency of the performers. It seems clear to me that the performers have worked with each other often. I will try and find more in this series of the Brandenburg Concertos.By the way, I bought this disc for $4.88 at a specialty CD place. As I write this, the amazon options are much higher priced than what I am sure you can find elsewhere.
J**K
Sparkling performances of Bach concerto's
When I wanted a CD version of these concerto's I listened to three versions: Koopman, Il Giardino Armonico and Hogwood. All of them have some pro's and cons. Il Giardino gives some crisp performances (particular in concert no. 3). Hogwood is interesting, as he and his band play earlier versions of some concertos, but if you do not already have a CD with these concerts it will not be the most obvious choice. In particular since you miss the lengthy candenza of no. 5.The overall most satisfying version was for me Koopman and his ABO. His performances are very alive and his continuo playing is imaginative. The soloist, including Koopman himself and other well known baroque specialist, are excellent What made me above all choose this version is the way he performs the cadenza in no. 5, one of the most dramatic accounts I have heard. Here he really leaves behind Il Giardino, as its harpischordist plays the solo rather unfocused.There are of course other good versions on the market and I have not heard them all, but Koopman is a very good choice and probably for a price the best you can get. The recording sound is excellent.
Trustpilot
1 week ago
3 weeks ago
