The Six Brandenburg Concerti by Johann Sebastian Bach
BWV 1046-1051 (1721)
Reviewed by Tom-Tom
Ah, to be fortunate enough to listen to the Baroque Master, J.S. Bach. You never get bored. Unlike most of his contemporaries, Bach’s music moves. The upper strings don’t get to hog the melodies, it gets passed around whatever crazy ensemble Papa Bach put his hand to. Nowhere among his variegated works is this more obvious than the 6 Brandenburg Concertos (Concerti in the correct plural Italian). The works range in size from two full length movements to 4 or 5 depending on the version being performed. The instruments vary from lower strings only (this is unusual in any ensemble piece featuring strings) to a hodge-podge of seemingly random instruments ranging from violino piccolo to a type of trumpet that doesn’t even exist anymore.
hallthorn reviews 