Cti 3/4

Yes, my friends, the CD is ANALOG. However, Mr. Pinnock and the English Concert are so superb, you forgive the technology. For those of you who may not know, Bach, as well as other composers, used the same compostions they had already written or publised to feature different instruments. A violin concerto was re-written as concerto for harpsichord, and so on. The concertos on this CD feature recast Brandenberg Concertos, and some of Bach's sacred music (the music from a cantata here and there). So, this CD is a compliment to the existing Bach collection at home. If you're "mad about Bach", then this CD is for you. If you love the sound of the harpsichord, then this CD is for you. If your new to this and think you're gonna hear some new Bach tunes, well, I still recommend this CD, just understand that rewriting past compositions was a common practice in an era before electronic recording devices. You may hear things in these re-worked Brandenbergs and cantatas that are not present in recordings you may have. Mr. Pinnock's harpsichord playing is superb. The English Concert's musicianship is excellent, as always. The acoustics are fine. There really isn't much of a fresh reading of this recordings, just a substitution of the featured instrument. That is a good decision, still. My only complaint is the lack of dynamic range that is inherent in analog recordings. The harpsichord solo moments are so close to the noise floor that it is disturbing. But that is the original medium. Perfection would be if Mr. Pinnock and company were to, at some point, record these concertos again for DDD.

I have heard numerous recordings of these works but these are, IMHO, at the top of the pile. The analogue recordings (I think some are digital) sound the warmest(on LP they are even better - sorry!). Pinnock should play more solo/lead harpsichord in concert!

Trevor Pinnock is an accomplished master of the harpsichord and especially for pieces by Bach or those in the German Baroque tradition. Despite being analog, this performance is exemplary of a great recording and an accomplished musician at work: absolutely fabulous! You can't really go wrong with any performances by Pinnock when it comes to Bach especially: he is truly one of the best performers in this field. A great buy!