Yehudi Menuhin’s recordings of Bach’s orchestral music
made in the 1950s stand out as a major step along the road of Bach performance
practice. Eschewing the heavy orchestral arrangements of the previous
decades, Menuhin performs these works with much smaller forces than
the conductors who preceded him. Nevertheless stylistically these are
far from what today is called historically informed performances
(HIP). Modern instruments, slow tempi, lots of vibrato and lush arrangements
are all the hallmarks of a more "classical" approach, but
Menuhin’s view of these works is more musically-oriented than most,
focusing on the resulting sounds rather than any abstract theoretical
desire to perform these works in a specific way.
There is a certain unity of tone in these performances
that few conductors of this period managed to achieve. Menuhin manages
to leave his mark on these works, with subtle orchestral effects, brilliant
playing of the soloists, and a true understanding of the feelings that
lie behind Bach’s music. While the Orchestral Suites are played slowly
- very slowly, by today’s standards - they create a feeling of plenitude
and joy that is not heard in many recordings of these works. Listening
to them attentively, with headphones, one can hear the many subtle effects
that Menuhin instilled into these performances, with instrumental groups
changing their focus as the music progresses. In spite of the tempi,
these are very engaging performances, and the lush, legato sound of
the strings does not sound archaic essentially because of the size of
the forces.
Menuhin’s recording of the Musical Offering has the
same characteristics, but this work is for even smaller forces and he,
fortunately, does not try to impose a modern orchestral structure on
the work. Again, the legato and vibrato of the strings gives it a slightly
anachronistic sound, but this sound is not without charm. Unfortunately,
the recording of the harpsichord in this work - as in many of the pieces
in this set - is poor; in the opening Ricercar, the harpsichord seems
to phase in and out, and the higher end of its sound is often muffled,
giving it a distant, incomplete tone. The sound is also unequal throughout
the piece, with some parts sounding much better than others.
The Brandenburg Concertos feature much more sprightly
tempi than the Orchestral Suites and very attractive orchestration with
relatively small forces; about as large as that commonly used for HIP
recordings today. The soloists all sound fine, with the exception of
the harpsichord, which is a bit low in the mix, at times. The interplay
of the musicians creates a delightful atmosphere, and this recording
rivals many of the best HIP recordings in vigor and energy.
The Harpsichord Concertos, a total of nine, for one,
two, three and four harpsichords, are played with the same elan and
bright power. These feature such prestigious soloists as George Malcolm,
Simon Preston and Thurston Dart. Unfortunately, the sound is not very
flattering for the keyboard instruments - they are very soft, and do
not make it through the music when the entire orchestra is playing.
When they are playing solo passages, their low volume means that listening
to this disc one is confronted with a wide dynamic range: to hear the
harpsichords, volume must be turned up, but, in this case, the orchestra
then sounds quite loud.
Menuhin’s violin concertos are attractive, but they
don’t knock me out or have the same charm as the rest of the set. In
spite of his brilliant playing, they lack the overall energy that is
heard in the other works.
This is a fine set of recordings that show how Bach
can be beautiful with a classic, yet restrained approach. Menuhin’s
relatively small forces and exuberant energy make most of these works
essential recordings for Bach-lovers. Only the violin concertos lack
the same drive, but, given the super-budget price of this set, this
is not an issue. Grab it up - you won’t regret it.
Kirk McElhearn
Bath Festival Orchestra