Johann Sebastian Bach - Keyboard Concertos Nos. 1, 2 & 4 (Murray Perahia)

Information

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

• (01-03) Keyboard Concerto No. 1 in D minor, BWV 1052
• (04-06) Keyboard Concerto No. 2 in E major, BWV 1053
• (07-09) Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in A major, BWV 1055

Murray Perahia, piano & conductor
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields

Date: 2000
Label: Sony Classical

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review

ARTISTIC QUALITY: 10 / SOUND QUALITY: 10

After Murray Perahia’s much lauded solo performances of Bach’s English Suites and Goldberg Variations, Sony offers his first recording of keyboard concertos with orchestral accompaniment. As with his cycle of Mozart concertos, Perahia conducts from the keyboard, allowing him complete artistic control–and it works wonderfully here, arguably better than it did in the Mozart. You’ll be struck by Perahia’s ability to heighten the drama, nobility, and sheer joy of Bach’s music through the unity he elicits between soloist and ensemble.

A particularly telling example of this occurs early on in the final movement of the Concerto No. 1 BWV 1052, where Perahia and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields’ continuous interweaving figures vividly animate the music. Never shy when it comes to embellishment, Perahia seizes every opportunity. In harmonious juxtaposition, the ASMF accents each of his final downbeats with what seems to be just the right response. Never is there any sense of disparity (as with Gould/Bernstein or Rousset/Hogwood) or worse, excessive homogenity (Schiff/COE).

In this sense, the only other recording of these pieces that compares would be the Trevor Pinnock cycle with The English Concert. Regardless of the piano-harpsichord/original-instrument-modern-instrument differences between the two, both Pinnock and Perahia bring a similar unified dash, fluidity, and integration to their respective readings. Sony’s sound is very good. Perahia’s Steinway is somewhat up-front, but not overly so. The handsome, well designed booklet includes informative, trilingual notes by George Stauffer. Perahia fans need not hesitate. Others, particularly those who enjoyed Perahia’s brilliant take on Bach’s Goldberg Variations, would do well to take a chance on this recording as well. Highly recommended!

-- John Greene, ClassicsToday

More reviews:
http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/bach-keyboard-concertos-nos-1-2-and-4
http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/s/sny89245a.php
http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Keyboard-Concertos-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B00005A8IB

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. Bach enriched established German styles through his mastery of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and his adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from Italy and France. He is known for instrumental compositions such as the Brandenburg Concertos and the Goldberg Variations, and vocal music such as the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. Since the 19th-century Bach Revival he has been generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach

***

Murray Perahia (born April 19, 1947 in New York) is an American concert pianist and conductor. Perahia studied with Mieczysław Horszowski at Mannes College, and also attended Marlboro Music School, where he studied with musicians Rudolf Serkin, Alexander Schneider, and Pablo Casals, among others.. Besides his solo career, he is active in chamber music and appeared regularly with the Guarneri and Budapest String Quartets. He is also Principal Guest Conductor of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, with which he records and performs. He is loved for his warm, gentle, smooth and lyrical qualities of playing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Perahia

http://murrayperahia.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

FLAC, tracks

Links in comment

Enjoy!