Buying bulk Brandenburgs

Press, 27 December 1985, Page 13

Buying bulk Brandenburgs

Classical records review

ALLAN FRANCIS

J. S. BACH. Brandenburg Concertos 1 to 6 (complete), played by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, conducted by Neville Marriner. Soloists include Henryk Szeryng, Jean-Pierre Rampal and George Malcolm. PHILIPS COMPACT DISCS 400 077-2 and 400 0762. I am, convinced now that it is quite useless buying the “Brandenburg Concertos” piecemeal, better by far to get the set and take your choice as to the possibility of variations in quality.

This eliminates most of the competition, and if you care to take the matter to its furtherest conclusion, the elimination of wildly eccentric performance can be deleted at the same time, thus removing Karajan, Wendy Carlos and Leppard from contention.

It also discounts the earlier Marriner recording from 1972, so the field is

now a handy size, a luxury rarely afforded the record buyer or the ardent Bach fan. Of the remainder, one has the choice of the excellent Paillard Chamber Orchestra, the Leonhardt version, the Pinnock/English Concert, the Linde Consort or one or two deleted accounts.

The one under review is not one of your true-blue digital versions either, it was originally analogue — excellent though it was, but it is digitally remastered for the purpose of compact disc.

With all these considerations in mind, a decision has to be made and not the least of the problems confronting the listener is whether the presence of such stars as Szeryng outweighs all else..

Some say that it is not necessary to load the recording with such big names when just average, competent players would have clone just as well.

Still, there is no getting away from Szeryng’s sweet tone or Rampal’s haunting flute; in addition to those mentioned above, Heinz Holliger and Andre Bernard have been engaged for the early Concertos, and the draw becomes irresistable. The stereo spread is nicely judged, the over-all sound is competently convincing and George Malcolm’s harpsicord adds the right amount of sparkle (Karajan kept his in the wings as a necessary evil). Despite the presence of those grand soloists, the reading is strictly middle of the road; no-one has gone overboard by magnifying any particular section of the work.

The only minor reservation is that occasionally

Marriner. uses a thicker string texture than the authentic brigade might allow — a minor point indeed with all these good things offering!

As expected, the “sth Concerto” is superbly lyrical and the 6th bounces along in fine style, all without any undue emphasis. In all fairness, it must be stated that these versions are quite satisfactory as the only recordings one might have in a collection, that is, to all but the most particular authenticist. MOZART. Horn Concertos Nos 1 to 4 played by Barry Tuckwell; horn with the ECO conducted by the soloist. DECCA COMPACT DISC 410 284-2. It is obvious that Barry Tuckwell is no stranger to these pieces, having been in the catalogue, with differing orchestras and conductors, since 1962.

Dennis Brain’s last recording of this set appeared

in 1954 and it was only a short gap before Tuckwell took up the crown. Big band versions were all the rage at that time, and the magical recording by Brain and the Philharmonia Orchestra under Karajan has stood for years as the ultimate version. •

Still, Peter Maag and the L.S.O. with Tuckwell assured followers that this was not the end of the road. Things have got better still since. Alan Civil and Baumann (natural horn) turned out rival versions, but although recognising the merits of each, especially with the latter’s limitations, Tuckwell has established himself as the man of the moment.

Happily, the recordings here are the genuine article, the concerts from the Henry Wood Hall, London, being digitally processed at the outset, and the results come up to expectations.