Brandenburg Concertos on compact disc
If the new Czech version of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos is a noteworthy event in the world of recorded music, it is not so much for the work itself as for the interpretive concept. Should we in fact go to the trouble of exploring the recordings of this famous work, we would very soon discover that we have taken on a Herculean task. There are more than a hundred such recordings. As we know very well, opinions about how to interpret Baroque music differ widely these days; in other words, for every recording there's a different theory.
Even those who favour the most diverse concepts are convinced of the correctness of their and only their approach and are ready to defend it with some militancy; yet in all justice we must accept that opinions do differ. This holds true not just among the performers but also in the sizeable community of listeners all over the earth. In principle these conceptions can be divided into two camps. The first, coming from the modern tradition, accepts modern instruments and varies in the degree to which it makes use of technologies and techniques that did not yet exist in Bach's era. (On our list we shall mark them with the letter T.)
The other camp favours so-called authentic or informed interpretation, that is, the use of authentic instruments and most importantly the application of stylistic principles known from contemporary written sources. However, it also involves the effort to find a personal approach, in other words, that of a performer who is at once historically informed and endowed with modern sensitivity. Thus this second conception does not see itself as a museum, as has sometimes mistakenly been assumed, but rather as an exciting creative workshop (Letter A).
Each of these conceptions can be further divided into at least two groups. The "conservative" camp can give performances in the spirit of neo-romantic sensitivity without any consideration for historical sources or for possibly authentic interpretive principles (T1); or else while using modern instruments it can to a substantial degree accept authentic performance principles (T2). The so-called "progressive" group includes a number of differing opinions which proliferate in several directions. Here let me outline at least two of the basic ones: a more "orchestral" sensitivity (A1) or a more chamber-music one (A2). No need to point out how subjective and difficult such labelling is.
Keeping in mind the great diversity of opinion, we have been so bold as to single out fourteen currently available top-class recordings, each of which in its way offers an example of one of these conceptions. We have paid particular attention to Czech recordings.
Oregon Bach Festival Chamber Orchestra, Helmuth Rilling, 1994
Hänssler, 092.126.000 (T2)
Neue Bachische Collegium musicum zu Leipzig, Max Pommer, 1984
Capriccio, 10 025, 10 041 (T2)
Slovenský komorný orchester, Bohdan Warchal, 1978
Opus, 91 2760-2 (T1-2)
Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner, 1971
Philips, 470 934-2 (T1-2)
English Chamber Orchestra, Benjamin Britten, 1968-74,
Decca, 443 847-2 (T1-2)
Ars rediviva, Milan Munclinger, 1965
Supraphon, 11 1875-2 013 (T1-2)
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, 1965
Deutche Grammophon, 437 461-2 (T1)
Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter, 1964-68
Deutsche Grammophon, 427 143-2 (T2)
Le Concert Des Nations, Jordi Savall, 1991
Astrée-Auvidis, E 9737 (A2)
Musica antiqua Köln, Reinhard Goebel, 1987
Deutsche Grammophon, 447 287-2 + 448 288-2 (A2)
Concentus Musicus Wien, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, 1981-82
Teldec, 4509-97984-2, 4509-97985-2 (A1)
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock, 1979-82
Deutsche Grammophon, 471 720-2 (A1)
Collegium Aureum, Gustav Leonhardt, 1965-67
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, 82876700432 (A1 )
