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

Very subjetive, but one particular piece has kept me going for years,probably because it is really well suited to re-interpretation/transcriptions

The solo violin suites are a massive achievement, but the Chaccone from the second Partita is, for me, Bach's crowning achievement - it's about 13-15 minutes long and for me sums up Bach.

On Violin I am split between Grumiaux and Huggett (with Heifetz a close 3rd). I also have the orchestral transcription by Stockowski, which is interesting, the busoni piano version which is, well, not quite as interesting, and the Nigel North Lute version, which I consider indispensible (but make sure you get the version he did on the Baroque lute comlilation CD and not the one in his 'Bach on the lute' series - both from Linn CD's).

Also - grab anything Bach by Glenn Gould as if your life depended on it.

Hope that helps

Simon

Well if you want recommendaions look here Bach's Home Page

But my favourites are

• B Minor mass, Parrott & Taverners Consort
  
• Brandenburgs, Pinnock
  
• Keyboard works, Angella Hewitt
  
• Lute Suites, Jacob Lindburg
  
• Flute stuff, Lisa Benoziuk (sp?)
  
• Cantatas, Suzuki or Herreweghe

But as he wrote over 160 cds worth of material you've got a lot to choose from.

Tom
Enjoying it all

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

Hi Reto

If I may suggest something that falls into your "must have" (but not flute) category it would be Bach's Organ Works.

My first choice would be "Das Orgelwerk" played by Helmut Walcha on Archiv. His interpretation is my favourite but the recordings are old.

My second choice would be "Bach The Organ Works" played by Peter Hurford on Decca London. A more modern set but not necessarily better.

Both sets are very good. The Walcha is on 12 CD's and the Hurford 17 CD's. I'm lucky... I have both! I think the organ works of Bach are a "must have" and I've had a great deal of enjoyment from them. I never seem to get tired of these two sets. If you only want one...I'd try the Walcha. Amazingly he was also completely blind!

Cheers,

Dave

I agree with David H-M about Harnoncourt's St Matthew Passion, but would also add Klemperer, Richter and Herreweghe as excellent versions (especially Klemperer).

Other recommendations:

The Goldberg Variations - The new set on Sony containing the 1955 and 1981 versions if you like Gould's playing; otherwise Kempff, Schiff or Perahia for piano versions. I like Blandine Verlet on Astree for a harpsichord version.

The Preludes and Fugues - Schiff or Richter for modern piano versions, and Edwin Fischer on Naxos is also excellent (and cheap!) if you can tolerate mono recordings.

English Suites - Perahia or Schiff.

Partitis - Richarde Goode.

Solo violin sonatas and partitas - Nathan Milstein on DG.

Cello - Heinrich Schiff, Fournier, Wispelwey or Bylsma (and maybe Rostropovich).

Ross

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 was a confirmed harpsichord-only person until I heard the Hewitt stuff - now hooked.

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).