| BAROQUE
FAVOURITES Handel Arrival of the Queen of Sheba Pachelbel Canon & Gigue Handel Movements from Water Music Suite no 1 Bach Air from Suite no 3 in D Purcell Incidental music to Abelazar Vivaldi Concerto op 10 no 2 for recorder, bassoon and strings Telemann Suite from Tafelmusik Book III  Tafelmusik Baroque
Orchestra/Jean Lamon Originally recorded at St Anne's Church, Toronto, 13-15 March, 1982 and released on RR-13 [47:19] Vivaldi Sinfonia in C Vivaldi Trio Sonata in G minor Vivaldi Concerto in E flat for two violins Bach Prelude in C Bach Trio Sonata in C Bach Concerto in D minor for two violins |
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| Reference recordings | |
This is another of Reference Recordings' 'two for the price of one' bargains, offering a brisk canter through a familiar selection of eighteenth-century works. It's a pity that the accompanying programme booklet concentrates on the composers and provides no information about either of the two ensembles or their approach to the question of authenticity in regard to performance practice and choice of instruments. Thus two oboists are listed as members of the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, but their sound is more akin to that of the oboe d'amore. On the other hand, both ensembles deploy violone rather than double bass, thereby displaying more than a nod in the direction of authenticity.
There is not a great deal to be said about the performances, which are uniformly crisp and elegant and well recorded. For me, far and away the most striking piece is the Bach Double Concerto (incorrectly described as Bach's only work in this form). The left and right placing of the soloists is splendidly effective and the slow movement especially is ravishingly beautiful, if a touch sentimental.
As a representative sample of baroque music, the discs are to be recommended, even if putting Vivaldi side by side with J.S. Bach does the former no favours.
Adrian Smith