Rachel Podger & Brecon Baroque – Bach: Violin Concertos (2010) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Rachel Podger & Brecon Baroque – Bach: Violin Concertos (2010)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 51:36 minutes | 988 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Channel Classics

Podger has one of the sweetest tones of any period-instrument violinist – heard at its most beautiful in the singing Andante of BWV 1041, wonderfully sustained but never cloying. The finale has an infectiously spritely bounce and exhilarating dramatic tension; despite the energetic pace, it manages to stay firmly on the rails thanks to the players’ formidable technique and musicianship. No one will go wrong with this invigorating album.

Since the sensational reception in 1999 of her recordings on Channel Classics of J.S. Bach’s sonatas and partitas for solo violin, Rachel Podger has become one of the world’s leading Baroque violinists and a favorite of classical listeners who want historically informed performances. But beyond the well-deserved celebrity and the authentic style is Podger’s phenomenal musicianship and technical skill that anyone can appreciate, whether or not authentic practice is at issue. This 2010 hybrid SACD release of Bach’s violin concertos with the Brecon Baroque is a bona fide re-creation of what the music sounded like in the 18th century, and the small scale of the orchestra, the idiomatic embellishments, and the sumptuous string and continuo timbres are all any fan of early music could desire. But the music is so brilliant, sensitive, and communicative that it will reach even those who have only listened to conventional performances of these pieces, or none at all. To top it off, Podger’s eloquent solo part is the center of attention in all four works, though her playing and the presentation are not forced; rather, her playing grows out of the ensemble organically and is unified with the whole. The sound of this album is surprisingly warm and vibrant, despite the relative absence of vibrato, and the intimacy of the setting comes through, thanks to the close but comfortable microphone placement.

Tracklist:
1. Rachel Podger, violin/director – Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041/Allegro (03:48)
2. Rachel Podger, violin/director – Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041/Andante (05:17)
3. Rachel Podger, violin/director – Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041/Allegro Assai (03:17)
4. Rachel Podger, violin/director – Concerto in E major, BWV 1042/Allegro (07:31)
5. Rachel Podger, violin/director – Concerto in E major, BWV 1042/Adagio (05:45)
6. Rachel Podger, violin/director – Concerto in E major, BWV 1042/ Allegro assai (02:32)
7. Rachel Podger, violin/director – Concerto in G minor, after BWV 1056/Allegro (03:34)
8. Rachel Podger, violin/director – Concerto in G minor, after BWV 1056/Largo (02:52)
9. Rachel Podger, violin/director – Bach Concerto in G minor, after BWV 1056/ Presto (03:13)
10. Rachel Podger, violin/director – Concerto in A major, after BWV 1055/Allegro (04:18)
11. Rachel Podger, violin/director – Concerto in A major, after BWV 1055/Larghetto (05:17)
12. Rachel Podger, violin/director – Concerto in A major, after BWV 1055/Allegro ma non tanto (04:06)

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