The DG Karajan recordings of the Brandenburg Concertos, recorded in 1964, weren't accepted as legitimate even at the time of their original release (at least by some foul reviewers!). However, I have now lived long enough for the insight of these extraordinary performances to become apparent to me, and, yes, touch my very soul! ;-)
In music history, it's Mahler (possibly Tchaikovsky, in his Sixth Symphony) who is usually given credit for the innovation of ending many of his symphonies with these long, deeply-felt, magnificent adagios, which now affect audiences so strongly all over the world. But Karajan had the insight to realize that it was not Mahler or Tchaikovsky responsible for this innovation, but rather Bach! For in the last movement of the First Brandenburg Concerto (Menuetto, Trio 1, Polacca, Trio 2), which most conductors (or conductorless ensembles) dispense in about seven minutes, Karajan found the depth in this music to keep it going for an extraordinary 12:16! Of course, that's not quite on par with the 20+ minutes of Mahler's final adagios, but it does show that Bach was the original innovator in ending some of his works with this kind of long, slow, valedictory movement!
There are so many wonderful aspects to this set: the use of flutes in the Fourth Concerto, the richness of the multiple instruments to a part in the Third, cellos instead of gambas in the Sixth, the tinkling away of a harpsichord which really knows its place in the larger scheme of things (one report I've read indicates that it was Karajan himself playing, except in the Fifth). . . I could go on and on! Really, little else remains to be said, aside from noting the individual sound (such magnificent tone quality!) of the orchestra from that time - a unique sound which was already being lost under the Abbado regime and only accelerated under the Rattle regime. Just experiencing this kind of tone quality in itself is gratifying and rewarding! (Shout out to those oboes!)
As for double dotting in the Overtures of the Second and Third Orchestral Suites (also included in this set - I don't know how they fit it all onto two CD's at these tempos!), surely you jest!
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Topic - The Bach Brandenburg Concertos - Ah! Karajan! - Chris from Lafayette 10:22:19 03/11/17 (29)
- RE: The Bach Brandenburg Concertos - Ah! Pearlman! - kitch29 06:09:38 03/12/17 (1)
- LOL! Very true! [nt] ;-) - Chris from Lafayette 12:34:57 03/12/17 (0)
- RE: The Bach Brandenburg Concertos - Ah! Karajan! - Rockethead26 21:08:42 03/11/17 (3)
- Sounds like he's talking about Minimilism! nt - oldmkvi 18:58:29 03/12/17 (0)
- Interesting excerpt - but he's got a mistake right off the bat - Chris from Lafayette 22:15:44 03/11/17 (1)
- RE: Interesting excerpt - but he's got a mistake right off the bat - Rockethead26 07:45:24 03/12/17 (0)
- RE: The Bach Brandenburg Concertos - Ah! Karajan! - briggs 17:16:31 03/11/17 (5)
- Assuming you mean the Klemperer/Philharmonia recordings. . . - Chris from Lafayette 20:02:27 03/11/17 (4)
- Klemperer's Brandenburgs... - Kas 07:38:58 03/13/17 (1)
- Thanks, Kas! That set didn't pop up when I searched. . . - Chris from Lafayette 10:45:38 03/13/17 (0)
- RE: Assuming you mean the Klemperer/Philharmonia recordings. . . - briggs 06:31:27 03/12/17 (0)
- Streaming is good for some things... - Ivan303 21:09:07 03/11/17 (0)
- "weren't accepted as legitimate" - Newey 15:52:33 03/11/17 (3)
- Bach didn't write for the peanut gallery. nt - jdaniel@jps.net 18:38:06 03/11/17 (0)
- "that every artist understood for centuries" - oldmkvi 16:26:34 03/11/17 (1)
- Which likely makes up for the opinions of just about everyone else! /n - Ivan303 18:57:06 03/11/17 (0)
- RE: The Bach Brandenburg Concertos - Ah! Karajan! - Travis 11:16:11 03/11/17 (7)
- Yes - I have some of those volumes in the Hyperion series and very much enjoy them - Chris from Lafayette 11:31:54 03/11/17 (6)
- RE: Yes - I have some of those volumes in the Hyperion series and very much enjoy them - pbarach 04:34:28 03/12/17 (5)
- pbarach - you're raining on my anti-"Miss Prissypants" parade! [NT] ;-) - Chris from Lafayette 12:37:59 03/12/17 (4)
- RE: pbarach - you're raining on my anti-"Miss Prissypants" parade! [NT] ;-) - pbarach 12:39:41 03/12/17 (3)
- Well, I shouldn't admit this, but I DO have her Chabrier album [nt] ;-) - Chris from Lafayette 12:59:46 03/12/17 (2)
- RE: Well, I shouldn't admit this, but I DO have her Chabrier album [nt] ;-) - pbarach 13:05:11 03/12/17 (1)
- RE: Emerson -- I think he was making excuses for his own mind. (nt) - goldenthal 19:04:09 03/18/17 (0)
- Ah! The joy of non-HIP Brandenburgs - rbolaw 10:54:01 03/11/17 (4)
- My "imprint" version of the Brandenburgs was the Scherchen - the one with the Cento Soli Orch of Paris - Chris from Lafayette 11:07:19 03/11/17 (3)
- My "imprint" version was Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra - andy evans 16:06:13 03/11/17 (2)
- I'm a big fan of Munchinger's Bach, but ... - rbolaw 17:55:16 03/11/17 (1)
- The Paillard recording was most recently reissued a couple of years ago - Chris from Lafayette 19:57:32 03/11/17 (0)