Brandenburg Concerto Recordings - What Price, HIP?
Posted by: George Fredrik on 29 July 2012
Brandenburg Concerto Recordings - What Price, HIP?
In the last few weeks I have been lucky enough to re-acquaint myself with Trevor Pinnock's estimable [and centralliy recommendable version as a stating point] recording on DG Archive.
Then add the recent gift of Otto Klemperer's 1960 EMI recording with members of the Philharmonia Orchestra, and a feast of great Bach playing has come my way.
Add these two recordings to the ground breaking recording by Adolph Busch [EMI, 1935], Mogens Woldike [EMI Copenahgen, 1950/53], and Hans Martin Linde's magnificent effort [also EMI from c. 1980] and one has a choice of extra-ordinarily inspired recordings in performances that gravitate over time towards modern Historically Informed Performance practice.
Busch recorded the pioneering original chamber version of these at his own expense in Abbey Road in 1935, and though Fred Gaisberg was his estimable producer, he actually knew very well how to use the microphone to achieve exquisitely lucid musical balances, and his obviously "Old World" violin style is moderated by often one to a part performances that remain as fresh today as they must have seemed revolutionary at the time. The EMI Great Recordings Of The Century transfer is a pristine vinyl pressing effort; the original metal parts being used for the new vinyl pressings . The recording is as a fresh as s modern live radio broadcast in its visceral strength, sonically.
After the peace in 1945, EMI were trying to rebuild their catalogue, and one of the best experts on the performance of "Old" music at the time was the Danish conductor, Mogens Woldike. His recording of the Brandenburgs straddles the transition from 78s to mono tape for LPs. That technical aspect is almost not relevant, though it is interesting that the best recordings are actually the 78s! These are not quite beautifully transferred from shellac, whilst the tapes are obviously silent surface, they do not contain the quality of timbre that emerges from the direct cut 78 originals. Danacord is the company responsible for the CD issue.
The Linde set is a fine early digital recording that belies the fact. It is warm and big bones, and superbly balanced. I could never part with these revelatory readings!
Pinnock is given a very close recording - so close as to feel synthetic in some of the balances, but they remain lucid, if not quite natural. The music making has a slightly literal sense that misses some of the light and shade in the music, whilst retaining the joyful and energetic aspects superbly.
And then we come across the surprise. The Klemperer recording is technically the best of the bunch as issued by EMI on HQCD in Japan. Balances are splendid, clear and unforced. The harpsichord get drowned by the tuuti as it does naturally, as except in the Fifth Concerto [where it has a solo role] the continuo is played exclusively on the four foot stop rank, and these are invariably quiet!
The reason I mention the "What Price HIP?" in the title is that it seems to me that the two fully HIP performances - Linde and Pinnock - are constrained by ideas of tempo that are related to research and speculation about what possible speeds might be correct. Busch's tempi are like Klemperer's and Woldike's - they are wider ranging, and these three musicians worked within a tradition where the tempi of a single work ware related [in ratio] across the movements, which leads to these three being more cogent and architectural [and there no more architectural music and that of JS Bach] , with some surprising parallels between them, and one or two massive differences between these old school three and the two moderns!
Only one individual concerto out of the thirty performance considered here is not on a chamber scale, and that is the Sixth with Busch where the soloists are all tripled. Strangely this does nothing to diminish the clarity, and though it is completely wrong from the HIP aspect is immensely successful as a clear and expressive presentation of the music.
Firstly let me nail one of the myths about Klemperer - that he always played everything slowly. His adherence to the long term in music and the absolute presentation of clear detail without exaggeration leads to one or two instances where his performances are perhaps 10 per cent slower than than the quickest, sometime he is actually the fastest of all! Once example of this is the third movement of the Fourth Concerto, which is faster than Busch by a few seconds and manages the trick of being perfectly articulate, lucid and unrushed at a significantly more forward moving tempo than Linde or Pinnock. The effect is electrifying.
In other places the space Klemperer allows the music, brings a sense of momentum that is entirely unrelated to velocity. It never flags!
I strongly recommend that anyone who loves these concertos, takes the chance to obtain this set whilst it available. CD Japan has the issue for sale online.
Sadly I was put off Klemperer's heartfelt performances of these concertos years ago, because I listened to a much respected friend, who said they were fearfully old fashioned. Well if that is the price of HIP, then I will forgo the wonders of pure HIP - it is only informed guess-work in any case. But Klemperer's performances are ultra-stylish, but this is secondary to the significance that is contained in the music itself, and I can only marvel at the great unconventional conductors immensely satisfying survey of these diverse concertos, which probes aspects hardly hinted at even from Busch or Woldike. These are now easily my favourite recordings of the music, though the virtues of the other set will keep them with me!
ATB from George
Dear likesmisic,
Thanks for your post. 
Please will others feel free to post their own favourites.
ATB from George
Dear Doug,
On the original EMI Reflexe issue you get the Concertos alone, and on the Virgin Veritas re-issue you get the contemporaneous "Musical Offering" recording added in for a great makeweight. It is a superb recording and pair of performances in both the works, but it become tremendous value as well when coupled! Assuming you can digest the AoF!
Well one day I'll manage to listen to it all in a row I suppose!
ATB from George
Martin Perlman and Boston Baroque on Telarc from 1993-4 gets my vote:
