I Barocchisti, from the Italian part of Switzerland, and its director and harpsichordist
Diego Fasolis, here offer radical reinterpretations of Bach's fifth and sixth Brandenburg Concertos, along with the Concerto for flute, violin, harpsichord, strings, and continuo in A minor, BWV 1044. A companion disc includes the first four concertos in the set. Whatever the general virtues of pairing the individual concertos with other works, hearing the whole group of concertos in
Fasolis' hands enhances the appreciation of the entire concept; the purchase of both discs together is recommended. This is because
Fasolis, using just a few stringed instruments in the ripieno sections of most of the concertos (the triple concerto has a larger group), places maximum emphasis on Bach's quite unusual differentiation among the forces used in each concerto. That differentiation is somewhat reduced if a large contingent of strings is used, but here the varied solo forces emerge in stark detail. Tempos are fast and hard, and it is difficult to reconcile the reading of the slow movement of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 with its Adagio ma non tanto marking. The combination of high speed and sharp delineation of each solo instrument is a technically thrilling feat in itself, however, and the highlight of the entire set may well be the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV 1050, with its revolutionary emancipation of the harpsichord from its supporting role.
Fasolis pushes himself to the limit with the tempo and holds everything together with a steely, motoric pace -- call it precision Swiss engineering, if you will. The solo instruments elsewhere flash in and out of the texture, giving the whole a kaleidoscopic effect. The Arts label's SACD sound renders the variety of textures in exquisite detail. Sample thoroughly -- this is not your father's Brandenburg Concerto set, or even your friends'. But for many listeners this disc will be a revelation that strikes down to the heart of one of the great monuments of European music. One negative aspect of the presentation is that the English version of the booklet notes is riddled with grammatical errors and infelicities.