Bach - Brandenburg Concertos / Britten, ECO

If recorders, natural trumpets, etc., are important to you in performances of Bach's music, stay away from this performance. If, however, you like transcriptions, Bach played on the piano, etc., I can whole-heartedly recommend this recording.The performances here use flutes, trumpets with pistons, etc. I expect that the violins have the longer necks that have been in use since the nineteenth century, and that many other canons of authentic baroque performance are violated. These are not, however, the lushc, romantic performances common in the 1960s. The tempi are slower than typically used today, but not much. The performing group is relatively small. The violinists employ vibrato sparingly.Most important, Britten conducts with a great understanding of and love for the music, and the musicians play wonderfully.And, of course, the set is a bargain.

Britten's Brandenburgs are not hell-bent for leather nor "historically informed", but very well-played in a grand and stately manner suggestive of a great composer respectfully conducting the work of another from a different era. The remastered analog recording from 1969 is excellent with a warm bloom surrounding the intimate soundscape.I play these for a change-up on music that can become overly familiar, but that almost no one doesn't like at least once in a while.

Beautiful Brandenberg Concertos, written by Bach, conducted by Britten. Life is actually good, despite the foolishness of potentates nor the vagaries of weather. It's wonderful.

Britten's take is the best of all performing these overplayed concertos; as a composer, he knows best how to create something fresh.

One of the best using modern instruments. I love the music.

Just arrived. Package arrived as indicated. Quality is excellent

Beautiful music

Disappointed.

As I already have the wonderful Orchestra Mozart Blu-ray of the Brandenburg Concertos, I wanted a different recording on CD. I chose this Benjamin Britten conducted set based on it's favourable reviews and I was not disappointed. The recording is lovely and warm and in stereo and all pieces are played beautifully. There are a couple of issues relating to extraneous noise in some of the quiter concertos that take away from their enjoyment somewhat but overall it is a joyful listening experience and with the bonus of six additional Bach concertos at the end of disc two it is an abolute bargain. I highly recommend purchasing this CD set.

This CD offers amazing sound quality of J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. Additionally, it contains a concerto for violin, oboe and strings in D minor and a concerto for flute and strings in G minor. If you are interested in other J. S. Bach's concertos, you can consider this CD.

For the money it's a good recording.

From way back in the last century it may be, but this recording is stillas fresh as the day it was made. Britten's tempi are crisp and athletic,and his players are top notch in every department. Wonderful.

Not to be passed by. I played these CDs as I crocheted as I had a mild headache, and they actually soothed my troubled brow.