[wab]

I'm trying to get into Bach. Problem is, I don't know where to start. I was in the library this moring and they had about 200 Bach CD's! Maybe you Bach connaisseurs could get me started? I like small string ensembles and piano music but I'm also open to larger orchestral works. Thanks!

 

[DarkAngel]

Actually most of BACH is religious works (since he was church organist and choir master) consisting of many Masses, vocal canatatas, many organ works like fuges partitas concertos etc.

There is some keyboard work like Goldberg Variations, Art of the Fugue, Well tempered Clavier, English and French suites etc.
which Bach would have played on harpsicord/clavier but many version now recorded with modern piano.

Best for beginners to start with orchestral works like:
Brandenburg Concertos 1-6
Violin Concertos 1-2
Orchestral Suites 1-4

I would start with inexpensive budget set of Brandenburg Concertos 1-6

 

[Arzela]

You can goup his work into three catogories:
Chamber, keyboard and Choral.

For chamber works, check out
Pearlman's violin sonatas, The Musical
Offering (Marriner preferably), or
the brandenburg Concertos.
The orchestral suites and
the sonatas for solo cello are very nice also.

For keyboard, Glenn Gould's Goldberg Variations
are a must (1980 version). The Itailian Concerto is lovely
(Gould's version is nice). After these,
look at Andras Schiff's Well-Tempered Claiver
Books 1 and 2
(my favorite Bach pieces).
I absolutely love Leonhardt's Art of Fugue (harpsichord).
Any of Simon Preston's
Organ collections on DG are great also.


For Choral, there is great stuff in abundance.
What comes to my mind first is:

Mass in B minor

St. Matthew Passion

St. John Passion

Motet BWV 118b

Cantatas BWV 80 and 147 (there are approximately
350 cantatas!) I like John Elliot Gardiner
or Marriner for choral pieces. I think you can
get highlight cd's for the Passions, the highlight disc from Solti's
St. Matthew is excellent

 

[GeoffW]

Good recommendations by DarkAngel. I would also add almost any choral works recorded by Gardiner and the Montiverdi choir - Cantatas, Mass in B minor, etc. They really got me into choral music. Note that it IS religious (i.e. "sacred") music. I'm not religious at all, but it's beautiful and I love it.

 

[Arzela]

Gardiner has great stuff from Monteverdi.
His Magnificat and Vespers is breathtaking.
Most beutifull recording I've ever heard.

 

[jopi]

One thing of trivia to know:

The piano wasn't invented until later, so Bach never played the piano nor has he ever written any music for piano.

Sorry for being a smart@ss, just thought some fellow geeks didn't know.

 

[wab]

Thanks! I think I will start out with Glenn Gould's Goldberg Variations and the Brandenburg Concertos and see where it goes from there.

 

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally posted by Arzela Gardiner has great stuff from Monteverdi. His Magnificat and Vespers is breathtaking. Most beutifull recording I've ever heard.

The Gardiner/Archiv recording of Monteverdi Vespers has tremendously spacious recording, really feel like you are in huge cathedral space with voices eminating from the heavens........don't listen much to religious works but agree this is stellar performance/recording.

As for the Bach masses you can hardly improve upon the original instrument performances of Gardiner/Archiv, only downside is they are full price.

 

[Odi_et_Amo]

Suites for Solo Cello (Rostropovich)

Added to emphasize Stuartr's ringing endorsement: "If I were allowed to have only one Bach work, this would be it--Desert Island Disc(s)!"

Added: "As Arzela pointed out, Pearlman's Sonatas and Partitas is a great set. IP is to S&P what MR is to SSC."

Goldberg Variations (Gould [both recordings on the budget Sony 2 Disc set])

The Passions (Gardiner conducting)

Mass in B-Minor (Gardiner or the old EMI Karajan)

Caveat added: "The Karajan recording quality makes headphone listening mildly unpleasant. Phones--> Gardiner"

 

[fiddler]

Add the D minor Concerto for 2 violins. The second movement has never failed to make me cry.

 

[Arzela]

Karajan and Bach??? ...shudder...

 

[Odi_et_Amo]

Normally, HvK + Bach would make me shudder, too.

But in this set, he isn't offensive. True, some tempi are broader than the "authentic" performances', but the music stands up to a grand treatment (Cf. Klemperer's treatment of The Magic Flute).

The glory of the set is a young Elizabeth Schwarzkopf. I have yet to hear her bettered in the B-minor.

Both sets are indispensible!

 

[Arzela]

I'll have to check this recording out.

Normally, when I don't listen to Gardiner's Mass, I opt for the Marriner set. I think he
is a good middle ground.

 

[KR...]

A great place to start would be with this CD, it's cheap, sounds amazing and has great performances!

8.556656 BACH J.S. : The Best of J. S. Bach


JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041
01. Allegro Assai 03:50

Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248
02. Sinfonia 05:59

Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring, BWV 147
03. Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring, BWV 147 03:19

Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048
04. Allegro 03:29

Concerto in C minor for Violin and Oboe, BWV 1060
05. Adagio 06:34

Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
06. Aria 03:19

Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068
07. Air 05:22

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659
08. Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659 04:44

Piano Concerto No. 5 in F minor, BWV 1056
09. Largo 02:50

Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067
10. Badinerie 01:25

Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major, BWV 1046
11. Adagio 05:19

Sonata No. 3 in C major for Solo Violin, BWV 1005 (Transcr. Guitar)
12. Largo 03:24

Violin Concerto No. 2 in E major, BWV 1042
13. Adagio 07:28

Suite No. 4 in D major, BWV 1069
14. Rejouissance 02:31

Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047
15. Allegro assai 03:23

Double Concerto in D minor, BWV 1043
16. Largo ma non tanto 06:50

Wachet auf, Cantata BWV 140, No. 1
17. Wachet auf, Cantata BWV 140, No. 1 05:50

Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565
18. Toccata 02:58

 

[DarkAngel]

Well what version Brandenburg to get you ask?

There are probably 30+ versions of Bradenburg Concertos 1-6 currently available. To start I think no collection should be without the Pinnock/Archiv Blue 2CD set which is now mid price, you can also get a Pinnock/Archiv 3CD set that includes Orchestral Suites 1-4 and you really got a nice start. Other sets I like:

Hogwood/Oiseau Lyre
Huggett/Virgin Classics
Koopman/Erato
Lamon/Sony

Odi
Not sure about the Bach Mass/Karajan/Schwarzkopf, but the team of Klemperer & Schwarzkopf really shine on the remastered Mahler 2 on EMI greatest recording of the Century series. The sound quality is now incredible and competes with the best versions available.
I have the older version of this and the new remaster has transformed it to another level.