Going for Baroque

luckily, for the jerusalem baroque orchestra, one can no longer ask j.S. bach whether he intended to have his Brandenburg Concertos performed together at one stretch or separately.

they were indeed all composed in one and the same year, and offered together, as a set, to the duke of brandenburg. but there is no proof that they were ever performed, singly or together. For the sake of diversity it would therefore be advisable to perform them individually, sandwiched in-between other works. Some diversity, though, was nevertheless provided by the different solo instruments that presented different tone colors in each concerto.

Conducted by lina tur bonet from Spain, the concertos did not sound solemn or heavyweight, as is the case sometimes, but radiated Spanish temperament and energy, if such a thing exists, and contagious joie de vivre, which does exist. the slow movement of Concerto No. 5, Affettuoso (affectionately) sounded almost romantic, as though composed 100 years before its time. the harpsichord part was performed with virtuoso brilliance by dani espasa. the double-bass part, played by eran borovich, proved that bach had also a sense of humor.

In Concerto No. 4, dorit Florentin and Inbar Solomon savored the recorders’ melodiousness, even though it might have profited from somewhat less matter-of-factness.

handel’s Concerti Grossi Op. 6 proved persuasively that these two contemporaries indeed had much in common.