Track Listing

1. Brandenburg Con No.4 in G, BMV 1049: 1. Allegro
2. Brandenburg Con No.4 in G, BMV 1049: 2. Andante
3. Brandenburg Con No.4 in G, BMV 1049: 3. Presto
4. Brandenburg Con No.5 in D, BMV 1050: 1. Allegro
5. Brandenburg Con No.5 in D, BMV 1050: 2. Affettuoso
6. Brandenburg Con No.5 in D, BMV 1050: 3. Allegro
7. Brandenburg Con No.6 in B flat, BMV 1051: 1. Without tempo indication
8. Brandenburg Con No.6 in B flat, BMV 1051: 2. Adagio ma non tanto
9. Brandenburg Con No.6 in B flat, BMV 1051: 3. Allegro
10. Ovt (Ste Orch) No.4 in D, BMV 1069: 1. Ovt
11. Ovt (Ste Orch) No.4 in D, BMV 1069: 2. Bourree I/II
12. Ovt (Ste Orch) No.4 in D, BMV 1069: 3. Gavotte
13. Ovt (Ste Orch) No.4 in D, BMV 1069: 4. Menuet I/II
14. Ovt (Ste Orch) No.4 in D, BMV 1069: 5. Rejouissance

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #79365 in Music
• Released on: 2005-03-21
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

Amazon.com
Recorded in the late 1980s, this set of Brandenburgs (along with Nos. 1, 2, and 3) remains one of the foremost versions using period instruments. Its clean lines and complementary instrumental timbres make a strong case for using Baroque instruments for Baroque music. Reinhard Goebel's tempos may be too brisk, and the rhythmic pulse too weighty for some, but this is an excellent first or only set of these essential Baroque masterpieces. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews

Volume Two of Breakneck Bach
This is a copy of my review of the complete set of six Brandenburg Concertos, as originally released:

Why does Mr. Goebel play his violin so fast, daddy?
Because he can, son.

I suppose that's not an adequate answer. Most of the negative reviews of this performance express outrage at Goebel's tempi, but in fact the only movements of the six Brandenburg Concertos that might be considered abnormally fast are the second of #3 and the first of #6. Otherwise Goebel sets consistently playable tempi, with maximum contrast between the allegros and the adagios. Concerto #6 has been nicknamed "The Scrub Board" and Goebel chooses to exaggerate its gruffness, not only in tempo but also in bowing technique.

What's so darn good about Bach, anyway? Some people may never know. To really appreciate Bach, you need to hear all the voices - all the lines - simultaneously. It's a listening skill not everyone has, and an intellectual mode of listening more than an emotional one. Not that Bach can't be appreciated emotionally! That would be an absurd assertion. But to really hear Bach, you need to follow the counterpoint instinctively, to make sense of three, four, five instruments in a conversation where they all play at once. That's what's so very darn good about Musica Antiqua Koeln's performance of the Brandenburgs: all the lines speak clearly. The precision and balance of the ensemble creates an astonishing musical transparency. I know the Brandenburgs very well; I've played the bassoon and recorder parts in concert. I've been buying and listening to new recordings of them since I was a teenager in the 1950s. Even so, when I listen to this performance by MAK, I invariably "hear" exchanges between parts that I never noticed before. I hear the distinct eloquence of the inner voices. In #5, my favorite of all, I hear the incredible harpsichord of Andreas Staier in every measure, even when the full ensemble is blazing away. Thus, when the harpsichord soars into its otherworldly extended cadenza, the most electrifying moment in all Baroque music, it sounds both inevitable and continuous with the musical development of the allegro.

There are at least sixty performances of the Brandenburgs available on CD currently. Some are superb, some are mediocre, and some should be mercifully retired. Even if you already have a favorite, one of the superb sort, you won't regret hearing Reinhard Goebel's bold interpretation. And if it's too fast for you, all I can say is...listen faster!

Astonishing Interpretation and Performance.
The best version I have heard of of Concerto #6. The benchmark to compare against.

This recording may use authentic period pieces, but the interpretation is liberally fast and lively. It is the way this music was meant to be played. Absolutely stunning, even if some would object. This CD captures the energy and true forms of Concertos 5 and 6.

The work of masters.

Germans on speed
This is music making with energy, verve and a dash of vitamins. Robust performances, especially #6-- strings like a tornado. This is not your 'air on a G string' Bach. Have an expresso and put the top down.