Bach, Johann Sebastian

Hi Reto,

indispensible Bach in the orchestral genre:

Violin Concerto's (I like the Mullova recording on Philips)

Orchestral Suites (I like Ton Koopman's harmonia mundi recording)

Brandenburg Concerto's (Pinnock)

Get these pieces and you'll be happily entertained for quite a while.

Herman

I'd need at least two B minor masses. The version by Parrott that Tom mentions is excellent (and also my favourite version), but it's nice to have a larger scale one such as John Eliot-Gardiner as well.

The above are all good recommendations. I'd also add St Matthews Passion. Harnoncourt's version released about a year or so ago is superb.

David

well, i like the x-mas oratio. my favourite is a harmonia mundi recording under schmidt-gaden. (i think that's his name)

i do not know much about flute music. but maisky's version of the solo cello-sonaten is one fantastic amusement. very lively. who would think so of something as dull as solo-cello.

The most important upgrade: Forget about your system.

Concerning B-mass:

Try Thomas Hengelbrook's on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, it's marvellous.

Reto

CDX-XPS, NAC102, NAPSC, Hi-Cap, NAP 250, Naim Fraim, Chord Odysee 4, ProAc Response 2.5

Bach Sonatas, Keith Jarrett(harpsicord), Michala Petri (flute) - Beautiful recording, get it!

Goldberg Variations, Gould (1981 for me) - This one is sort of a no brainer.

St Matthew's Passion - don't have them in front of me, but I haven't heard one version that didn'ttouch me.

Cello Suites - Janos Starker, also a newer recording by Ophelie Gaillard sounds wonderful.

Double violin concerto - the second slow movement is my all time favorite.

I just love Angela Hewtitts Well Tempered Clavier. It is so beautiful I have to have a short break after each set of four preludes and fugues.

I also like his cantatas. There are a lot. I've been recently enjoying the Bach Collegium Japan recommended by Grammophone

I just thought to mention a couple of, perhaps lesser known recordings. First there is Sergey Schepkin's "Goldbergs" on Ongaku Records, a small American artisan label with pristine recording aesthetics. Schepkin is a remarkable player who trained at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. The concensus is if you like Gould you'll love Schepkin.
The other recording is of "The Well Tempered Claver" (vol.1) by Julia Cload on the English label, Meridian. I picked this up a couple of years ago on a whim, partly influenced by the beautiful Vermeer on the cover and have been anything but sorry. In fact I've been anxiously searching for vol 2 without favorable result. If anyone has heard Cload I would be interested in impressions, and would particularly appreciate any information on where I could get the second set (if it exists).