Paul Dombrecht's 2010 recording of
J.S. Bach's Orchestral Suites presents them in the original Weimar and Cöthen versions, so listeners should expect some features to be strikingly different from the later revisions. Perhaps most obvious is the change in the Suite No. 2 from a solo flute to a violin, played here by Dirk Vandaele, and the key of the work has been lowered, from B minor to A minor, as
Bach first composed it. Also apparent is the omission of trumpets, oboes, and timpani from the Suite No. 3, and trumpets and timpani from the Suite No. 4, which were later supplied for outdoor performances. This restoration of the suites shows them to be chamber works, presumably intended for private entertainment like the Brandenburg Concertos, and
Dombrecht and his early music group
Il Fondamento play them in a rather intimate manner, quite unlike the more festive presentation they usually receive. The ensemble plays with a burnished period sound, which it has cultivated since its founding in 1989 and still employs in its renditions of 18th and early 19th century repertoire. Fans of historically informed performances will appreciate the nuances of the original versions of the suites, though others may miss the brass and choose to have a more conventional performance that includes them.