Head-Fi.org › Forums › Misc.-Category Forums › Music › Happy 325th Birthday for JS Bach!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Happy 325th Birthday for JS Bach!

post #1 of 22
3/21/10 at 2:33am
Thread Starter 
What better way to celebrate the music of JS Bach on his birthday then to list your favorite recordings? Actually probably the best way would be to go to a concert in his honor. Since I won't have the opportunity to do this until next week, here's a short list of some of my most prized JSB CD's:

Cello Suites: Ralph Kirshbaum, YoYo Ma, Rostropovich - Actually my favorite is Jacqueline du Pre's. However the recording itself is terrrible. I believe it was done when she was a teen. Sounds like it was done with a household cassette recorder. Most importantly though, the emotion and understanding she delivers allows you to forget the poor recording quality.

Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin: Alina Ibragimova - I don't have this recording as of yet, but the clips I've heard are something else.

Sonatas for Violin and Harsichord: Rachel Podger and Trevor Pinnock

Viole de Gambe et Clavecin: Pandolfo and Alessandrini

Goldberg Variations (arranged for strings): Dmitry Sitkovetsky, NES Chamber Orchestra

Violin Concertos: Two of my favorite recordings are from Julia Fischer and Anne-Sophie Mutter

Trio Sonatas: London Baroque

Brandenburg Concertos: Boston Baroque and The English Baroque Soloists / Gardiner

Jazz Inspired: Jacques Loussier

Cantatas: Unequivocally, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (mezzo), brings the most humanity from Bach that I've heard.

Please post your picks. Always on the look out for more greats!
Reply
post #2 of 22
3/21/10 at 2:48am
Good selections.
I love Jacques Louisser's arrangements.
For Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, my favorite is Sergio Luca.
Cello Suites: Yo-Yo Ma's is great. I also have Pablo Casals but the recording is very old.
Reply
post #3 of 22
3/21/10 at 5:26am
I'm already making plans for the 333rd anniversary - a nicer number!
Reply
post #4 of 22
3/21/10 at 5:36am
I have the Ibragimova solo Violin Sonatas/Partitas, but have mixed feelings after a couple listens. It sounded great first 2 times, but after that her playing really felt tiresome, like she was waay too calculated or something. My favorite recording is still Christiane Edinger (on Amadis/Naxos for 3 bucks!) and Tetzlaff's on Virgin.

also:
Mass in B minor - Gardiner
Goldberg Variations - Kipnis
Transcriptions for orchestra with Seattle Symphony/Schwartz
Passacaglia & Fugue - Schweitzer
Brandenburg Concertos - OAE
Reply
post #5 of 22
3/21/10 at 7:12am
Has to be:

The Brandenburg Concertos - EBE with Trevor Pinnock
Reply
post #6 of 22
3/21/10 at 9:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lmswjm View Post
What better way to celebrate the music of JS Bach on his birthday
Salut!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Marcus_C View Post
Has to be:

The Brandenburg Concertos - EBE with Trevor Pinnock
x2


Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin - Richard Tognetti, 2005, on a 1759 G. B. Guadagnini with gut strings

Period
Reply
post #7 of 22
3/21/10 at 10:24am
Happy Birthday Herr Bach!

I have his complete works from Brilliant Records (maybe not so Brilliant - but some really good recordings and a steal for the price)

I also have a large number of individual recordings and particularly like:

St Mattheus Passion - (can't seem to locate my copy at the mo)
Bach Suites - Ton Koopman, The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra
Cello Suites No 1-6, Heinrich Schiff, EMI, CDS 7 47471 8 - this is one of my favourite records period!
Bach Cantatas - Thomas Quathoff
Toccata & Fugue - Simon Preston
Bach Cantatas - John Eliot Gardiner, English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir
Reply
post #8 of 22
3/21/10 at 10:43am
Happy birthday to a master.
Reply
post #9 of 22
3/21/10 at 7:05pm
Thread Starter 
Looks like some good material. I'm looking forward to checking out these selections.
Reply
post #10 of 22
3/22/10 at 12:45am
Thread Starter 
Just ordered Edinger and also Pinnock w/ EBE. Thanks everyone

Lucky me, I also will be attending a concert at a local church featuring perfomers from the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Toronto Symphony perfoming selections from the Orchestral Suites, a Solo Violin Partita, a Cello Suite, and the Ich Habe Genug Cantata.

Happy Birthday Johann...... Gotta get my Bach fix!
Reply
post #11 of 22
3/22/10 at 12:47am
Happy Birthday to the Giant of Music.
Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin: Sergiu Luca
this is a nice review of different recordings: Classical Notes - Classical Classics - Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, By Peter Gutmann
LL
Reply
post #12 of 22
3/22/10 at 1:28am
Here are some of my favorite recordings:

Hope, Hahn - Bach Violin Concertos
Gould - Goldberg Variations (80s recording)
Heifetz - Chaconne
Preston - Complete Organ Works
Reply
post #13 of 22
3/22/10 at 2:13am
LOL. First time I bought the Goldberg variations as a teenager I returned them because I thought they were defective. I later purchased them again, once I became to appreciate his humming to the melody.
I also like the Murray Perrahia's version, cleaner modern recording, but I do miss the humming!
Reply
post #14 of 22
3/22/10 at 2:30am
My Favourite is the Christophers Mass in B minor (well second to my choir's recording of it, of course!).

Gardiner's DVD of the Cantatas is also interesting, although the performances aren't always brilliant....
Reply
post #15 of 22
3/22/10 at 3:34am
2nd the Christophers version. - The Sixteen singing The Mass in B Minor is excellent.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Music
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Misc.-Category Forums › Music › Happy 325th Birthday for JS Bach!