Search - Rene Jacobs;Akademie Fur Alte Musik Berlin;RIAS - Kammerchor;Jaap ter Linden;Paolo Pandolfo;Kenneth Gilbert;Moroney;Davitt, Davitt Moroney, Rinaldo Alessandrini :: The Harmonia Mundi Bach Edition (Sampler)/ Herreweghe, Jacobs, et al.

An intriguing hint

Kurt Jensen | West Valley City, UT United States | 02/14/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Harmonia Mundi has long been recognized as a leader in Baroque-era recordings, and this sampler, from the music recorded for the Harmonia Mundi Bach Edition affirms that stature. Teldec and Hanssler, among others, also offered complete recordings of Bach's music, but in many respects Harmonia Mundi's two dozen or so discs of selected music surpasses those complete works. HM has taken the familiar "historically accurate" approach to performance, and the results are lovely.
There are arguments over how to divide Bach's music, but for the purposes of argument let's say the music can be categorized as: Sacred and Secular Vocal (cantatas and Masses); Keyboard (including the organ); Chamber; and Orchestral music. Any attempt to present a well-tempered sampler of Bach's work will have to be judged according to it's skill with each area. HM is matchless in it's presentation of the Cantatas; the work of Rene Jacobs and his RIAS Kammerchor is mellifluous and dramatic, while Philippe Herrewheghe's Passions are extraordinary. Lionel Rogg presents what are, arguably, some of the finest interpretations of Bach's Organ Music, and Davitt Moroney--a keyboardist with wide experience with and knowlege of the Baroque era--performs flawlessly on the harpsichord. Other highlights: Jaap ter Linden's work is impeccable, and the incomparable Andrew Manze shines. After listening to this selection, the trick will be to find the CD's from which this sampler was drawn--not an easy task, believe me."