Bach Brandenburg No. 5: The concerto that defined Jazz, Prog-Rock, Metal & even some Pop formats
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- Опубликовано: 25 июн 2024
- 300 years ago J.S. Bach wrote a piece of music that would define the structure of music we still adhere to today, especially in the realms of Jazz & Rock. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.5 (like the rest of the concertos in the set of six) stands out as something very special. It's long and dramatic solo at the end of the first movement, defined a format that would last for ever, where the band stops to give one musician the chance play a long solo, before the band come back in to end the piece. In this video I take a number of recordings of this ground breaking work and compare them for both their performance styles and recording techniques.
00:00 - Introduction
02:32 - Brandenburg No. 5
04:47 - Listing my chosen ensembles
06:42 - 1st. Movement - comparing the recordings
20:25 - 2nd. Movement - comparing the recordings
29:05 - 3rd. Movement - comparing the recordings
Links to:
Brandenburg No. 5 'Jack Lousier Trio' video: • Great Recordings Pt.2 ...
Claudio Abbado & Orchestra Mozart playing No.5 live: • Bach: Brandenburg Conc...
Spotify: Brandenburg No. 5
Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin: open.qobuz.com/track/129161838
Concerto Italiano: open.qobuz.com/track/43066094
Orchestra Mozart: open.qobuz.com/track/3205558
Cafe Zimmerman: open.qobuz.com/track/128291897
Concerto Cologne: open.qobuz.com/track/91710416
The English Concert: open.qobuz.com/track/162905081
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields: open.qobuz.com/track/2401299
Equipment used in this video:
Loudspeakers: Pearl Acoustics SG
Preamplifier: Sugden DAP-800
Amplifier: Galion A75
CD Player: Lyngdorf CD-2
Cables: Loudspeaker cables: Pearl Acoustics Neutral Balance
Interconnects: AudioQuest (various)
Listening Room acoustic panels: GIK
Discover more about Pearl Acoustics, who we are, what we do and what we believe in:
Pearl Acoustics website: pearlacoustics.com/
Our loudspeakers: pearlacoustics.com/loudspeakers/
Email us: enquiries@pearlacoustics.com
Social media links:
/ pearlacoustics
/ pearl.acoustics 
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I'm a great fan of jazz, prog rock and metal since i was a teenager. At my 50`s i've discovered Bach. Now i understand why.
Nice!
Same here. At 50 I finally took the time to learn why the music I like sounds the way it does
Google something called "Jazz Sebastian Bach" and you might be able to sample part of an old album by this name.
I have been listening to Bach since I was a child (thanks, Dad!). I have listened to many versions since (I'm almost 68 now). Each adds a bit of insight into what Bach REALLY meant. In any case, a rose by any other name...
Thanks for your comment. Indeed, I find that even when I listen to versions that at first I don’t like. At the very least they help me challenge my existing prejudices and even sometimes help you to find more in the work
I play jazz, and I love Bach. Total total genius. It took me most most of my life to master just a few pieces, and every time I play them I find some new line hidden in the myriad of mathematical purity.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the interesting lecture. The 5th Concerto was always my favourite, from my childhood. It is so beautiful and full of energy. Trurly modern music. Bach is the greatest...
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙏
No.6 is mine, the slow middle movement usually bringing me close to tears.
@@JohnSmith-of4vh the power of music, even when 300 years old.
Well said. JSB is the greatest of Them All.
No, not modern. Just timeless.
Great observation ! Myself-I learned TONS from studying Bach's masterpieces, starting with organ and piano as a kid, and later in my teens listening to basically everything Bach. Virtually all Classically trained prog-rock musicians, all Jazz musicians, Film and media composers - for everyone Bach's music was, is and will always be essential ! Keith Jarret just recently described himself in an interview with Rick Beato : "I'm Bachian with everything I play...". That says it all. Brandenburg 5th is a masterpiece, and truly a marvelous keyboard workout to be studied on daily basis ! I love Cafe Zimmermann performance (their entire album is, simply put - incredibly well recorded).
Thanks. And thanks for contributing to the topic so eloquently
In fact Bach's influence upon prog music of 1970s was very pronounced, but there is serious exaggeration in believing that masters of rock keyboards en masse were classically-trained, graduates of conservatories etc. Actually, few were, most of others just being sensitive, gifted and open-minded.
@@greg-warsaw4708True - lots of prog-rock (and not only) musicians were trained outside of any curriculum, oftentimes combining both: their own musical research, and direct instruction from seasoned musicians in their immediate community. In fact : one doesn’t need so called “formal training” to become a master, but there’s a catch in terminology… Either at actual music school with other kids or in your own private study room (Jacob Collier) the gist is the same: you learn step-by-step pretty much the same thing. So, in the way you apply “formal training “ to yourself by practicing and studying the exact same material as kids at music school do. Even when you’re at a formal music school (myself included) or study privately- 95 percent of time is just you in your practice room. But virtually all prog rock musicians had great understanding of music on all levels, were familiar with music history, music notation etc.
In mid-80s, being a 20 years old fan of rock, incl. prog, during my early ventures into Bach, I experienced a great moment. While listening to organ works (from a worn cassette) suddenly, mid-way through some fugue (might have well been a toccata or a prelude precedent to a fugue) I heard a fragment as if directly taken from some fine keyboard solo of Genesis or Camel - I heard music I was so closely related to. Surely I knew the influence must have gone the other way round but despite much effort I haven't traced back to put a finger on what Bach's work it was. I thought it could be a fugue in A major but my attempts to find this moment of epiphany have failed so far (BWV536 it is not).
@@greg-warsaw4708Nice 😊 !!
Listening to the music you love, on the speakers you designed from the ground up, with that said music genre in mind, and it sounding amazing, while entertaining your viewers, SUPER!
Thanks, that’s very kind.
Thank you for taking the time to help share the beauty of this piece. Café Zimmerman's recording is excellent!
You’re very welcome thank you!🙏
An absolute pleasure! Thank you! ❤
Thank you, so pleased you enjoyed it.
I learned in school that the Brandenburg Concertos were written, basically, as a "resume" for the Margrave of Brandenburg because Bach had heard that there was a job opening at his court. But when the margrave received the scores he took one look at it and noted that it was way too difficult for his orchestra. Consequently, it was never performed in Bach''s lifetime. Not only this, but JS Bach was never nearly as famous as his sons. It took Felix Mendelssohn nearly 100 years later to re-discover Bach. That's when JS hit the big time.
That is indeed what I learnt also. Thanks for your contribution to the topic.
That's very true. Sadly, if it wasn't for Mendelssohn perhaps to this day J.S.Bach and his music would have fallen into complete obscurity ? Perhaps someone else would "discover" Bach if Mendelssohn didn't ? Perhaps Brahms ? Perhaps Ravel ? Mozart himself was performing Bach's works EVERY SUNDAY at Noon at Baron van Swieten's , arranging his fugues for a string quartet and marveling at Bach's magnificent oeuvre. Chopin carried with him "Das Wohltemperierte Klavier" everywhere he went. He performed and studied both volumes on daily basis throughout his entire life. He couldn't live a day without studying Bach...
But these were "informed" individuals, music geniuses themselves ! Broader audiences had zero idea about J.S.Bach.
Well, I hate to sound controversial, but, looking over his resume ... I'd hire the guy.
@@KrystofDreamJourneyIt's a scary thought. Partly because it makes me wonder if there are any geniuses in the ballpark of Bach that have been completely forgotten.
@@kbaumgarten2151 me too! 😉
Very interesting session Harley. For me it's Café Zimmerman; warmer and closer to the instruments. But what I retain the most is that you were listening to music and NOT your stereo system. That's the sign that shows that the delivery method is attained and that afterwards all you need to do is enjoy your favorite music.
Thank you. You’re very welcome. And thanks too for your interesting observations.
There never was a better, more syncopated, melodic, superb recording of the Brandenburg than that of the Virtuosi of England
@@tonyfrench1081 thanks for the tip Tony. 👍
R@@tonyfrench1081
@@tonyfrench1081 Despite my suspicion that you are Virtuosi of England's mother or grandmother, I will check out the recording.
Wonderful episode! Watching how this music brings joy to you is very infectious. The world is a much better place with videos like this, thank you.
Was not aware of Cafe Zimmermann until now. Quite impressive - pieces were beautifully played and recorded. Gone is the typical large scale, "wall of sound", plodding Brandenburgs.
Thank you! That’s wonderfully kind. I agree, it’s refreshing to hear an intimate version of no.5.
I think the world can do with a bit of joy these days.
I'm afraid by saying _wall-of-sound_ you might refer to Trevor Pinnock's The English Concert. I'd love to get Cafe's but a quick search for their CD failed badly - Amazon offers one at equivalent of >500 USD (sic) and without shipping to my country.
Always great to listen to a person who knows about (good) music and its insides, thank you for sharing!!
You’re very welcome. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
First time listener. Absolutely delightful, instructive, entertaining. A privilege. Thank you. Best wishes 🥂
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
THANK YOU !
Every time I get a notification about your new upload it puts a smile on my face.
I realize what goes into making these exceptional videos and I really appreciate it. You changed the way I listen to music. Keep up the great work !
Thank you. I am so pleased to hear this. Enjoy
I fell in love with all the Bach Bradenburg concertos the first time I heard this when I was 14..I have listened many times since then (at least once a year)
Funny how music seems to change with us, as we get older… discovering new subtleties along the way.
Thank you so much, made me smile and put a spring in my step 😊
That’s perfect, I think it’s more down to Bach and musicians than me 😉👍🙏
The music is Beautiful
I so miss my youth,& orchestra,those were the days ❤
😉👍
THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH !!!! So brilliant and passionate - as still I am since more than forty years - about this magnificent masterpiece. You made a nice didactic job :)
Meet the Brandebourg Concertos was one of the most important, surprising, inner, joyful and really amazing event of my whole life.
I was in my 20s, studying classical guitar since my teens, grew up playing piano and listening all kind of music - from Beatles to Chopin, Rossini's operas and Ella Fitzgerald, the sparkling rich italian's songs repertoire (the napolitian tradition and the new '60s songs) and then of course rock, pop and jazz from Deep Purple to Weather Report.
I had been at a concert, did by some teachers of my conservatory and among the works they played, I was immediatly touched by the firsts mesures of the Third concert.
A couple of hours later, I joined some friends for a party, put the Bach's record on the turntable, and started to dance !!!!!!
I totally agree with the heading of your video.
I've listend the Brandebourg's for many many years almost daily, mostly starting with the Third. First came the historical recording by THE great master Gustav Leonhardt.
MUSICA ANTIQUA KOLN - masterfully conducted by Reinhard Goebel - is still at the firsts places of my favourite's list. CAFE ZIMMERMANN's version is very close to their rendiiton. Then come CONCERTO ITALIANO, Trevor PINNOCK's records and IL GIARDINO ARMONICO conducted by Giovanni ANTONINI.
Thank you again :)
Greetings from Paris.
You’re very welcome! Thank you for sharing your back story! Best wishes,
Harley
Damn! I wish I'd not found your video, sir! The Cafe Zimmerman performance of BWV 1050 is superlative. Utterly clear and with such delicious fluidity. I shall now have to try and find a presumably hyper-inflated copy, as it seems to be no longer available. I also note they have BWV 1052 on the same disc, and that is the piece of music which converted me into a Bach follower.
😀 yes it’s a big shame that it is out of stock… maybe they will re-print it. I will contact the CD label
@@PearlAcoustics I hope Alpha Classics will grant your wish. I have several recordings of the Brandenburg Concertos, I read record reviews frequently, and I never came across this one. It is just breathtaking. You approach in this review is very helpful.
@@charlesflynn4850 thank you. I hope so too!
Another amazing video. Thank you 🙏🏻
My pleasure!
Danke für die sehr aufschlussreiche Sicht auf einen Teil meiner Lieblingswerke von Bach. Danke aus Brandenburg.
Thank you! Lovely to hear from you. Hi from Tienen, Belgium. 🇧🇪
I have switched on Bach by Walter Carlos on vinyl. I've had it since 1968. I brought it to school in second grade for show and tell.
Walter's (now Wendy's) synthesized version converted me from a passive Bach listener to a passionate enthusiast. Moments into movement #1, I lifted the needle on the vinyl, lit up (hey, it was early 70s), put on my headphones & restarted it. The astonishing clarity of the his/her electronic sound made every note a pyrotechnic experience replayed thousands of times since. I've never heard an acoustic performance to equal it. It kick-started a lifetime of exploration of the wonders of J.S. Bach.
Perfect!
Absolutely so many got into Bach this way!
Wow, I'm so happy I came across this channel.
We too. Welcome!
What an incredible music system you have!
Thanks! 🙏
Yeah.!
What music system? You mean the power plant he's sitting next to? 😊
@@MarcioSilva-ssiillvvaa 😀
@@PearlAcoustics Beautiful work by the way!! Lovely Harvey!
Akademie Fur Alte Musik is my favorite. I listen to that CD very often. Thanks for another excellent analysis.
Thanks for listening. My pleasure
Amazing as usual
🙏👍
Cafe Zimmerman are magnificent. I love to do what you are doing here: comparing two or more performances by different ensembles of the same piece of music.
Indeed. Glad you enjoy it too
There is a radio program in México's FM 94.5 called La Otra Versión (The other versión). It has been on the air -on a weekly basis- for over 20 years and does that. Many versions of the same piece. It is wonderful.
Great video btw
@@luispalacio2080 thanks! 🙏
I have zero musical education. All I know is that Bach is the only composer whose music both invigorates and calms me. BTW, I grew up as a rock and roll fan.
Thanks for sharing
Right on. Good presentation.
Much appreciated!
Magnificent. The harpsichord solo was (to my ear) starting to stray into the territory of Ligeti, Continuum, and Hungarian Rock. Certainly I’m sure Ligeti will have learned from this extraordinary writing. Another fascinating episode Harley. I’m very happy to reconnect, and my 93 year old Dad is happy too. He remembers you very well. Regards Keith.
Indeed, I think if one was to hear the solo, completely out of context, one could be forgiven for guessing it was 20th century. That’s what makes it so remarkable to me. Not so much that it was ahead of its time, but that humans seem to have the same need and method to express themselves across centuries. Each generation finding their own way of sliding into a form of cacophony. Thanks for the personal message too. Feel free to reach out, H
simply fantastic!
Glad you liked it!
Glad to find this YT channel. Thank you for providing us such a good lecture about Bach's music. I am sure there will be more gems and diamonds of classic music pieces waiting to be digged out to share with us.😊
Thank you! Absolutely. Although I do like to mix my choices either other genres. Any pieces you would like to see covered?
@@PearlAcoustics I cheered when you mentioned the Claudio Abbado and the Orchestra Mozart version as this is my most favourite recording.
Edit: As I have a performance on video, I have to admit that the video version is the one I prefer!
@@josefschiltz2192 👍
Excellent review and commentary, I have listening homework now to do.
Have fun! Thanks! 🙏
👌 Thank you, Harley.
You’re very welcome
This is top quality. Great lecture, sir.
Thank you. You’re very kind
Listening to your music collection of Bach and seeing you swinging your hand in time brought back a lovely memory of a dear friend we lost to cancer at age 30. He was a wonderful pianist and had a grand piano crammed into a room in his small house. He would light the candles on his piano, turn out the electric light and PLAY Bach, Beethoven ,Handel so beautifully it was dreamlike. He was the one who gave us a majority of music education with little facts thrown in and lots of humor…..he used to say,’’Bach is a real toetapper!’’ Still makes us laugh because he is so rhythmic. Thanks for your video, it was a pleasure to listen to your different versions and observations.
Thank you so much for sharing your lovely backstory. What a privilege you had to experience Bach and other composers in this way. That’s how it should be, deep, personal, intimate
@@PearlAcoustics Truly! We were most blessed by our dear friend. Shortly before he died he had us take him to the charming old Episcopal chapel where he played organ when healthy. He unlocked the empty chapel and told us to take a pew. He proceeded to play the organ with such tender pathos….until he tired and had to be taken back home. He was a once in a lifetime gift of a friend. He gave us musical memories and quotes that we still tell one another to this day , 40 years later.
@@user-ph6yh4hs9z marvellous, marvellous. A life worth venerating. Thanks for sharing
Pure class 😊
Thanks! Very kind
my favourite version is still the Wendy Carlos interpretation on her 2nd "Switched on Bach"(1969), without acknowledging some other releases
😉
Thumbs way up on that...
Well, that opened up my ears.
😀
Thanks ! A very interesting listen. I love the Brandenburgs.
You’re very welcome
A treat to hear the analysis and 15:42 perspective on these recordings from an educated audiophile in the best sense. My grandad back in the 1960s had a custom stereo with Macintosh components, Bose speakers and Sony phonograph and with meticulous notes on index cards for every record.
Thank you. You’re very kind. And thanks for sharing your find memories of your grandad.
I vote for the warm sound one at the end, and I have listened to this over and over again, plus I live on Zimmerman st.
👍
Hi there, Dear Harley it was a magnificent BACH! You enjoy BACH concertos in the exactly same way as I do and I loved it! Best Regards from Athens Greece
Thank you. You’re very kind indeed. Thanks for taking the time to comment
Dear Harley, after a busy day at work, there is nothing better than listening to these wonderful pieces of eternal music. Thank you for the way you manage to deal with topics in such a pleasant and interesting way, hearty congratulations!
And to answer your question, I prefer Concerto Italiano! greetings from la bella Italia! ciao, Lorenzo
Thanks you so much for your very kind message. It’s lovely to learn how much you appreciate my efforts. Maybe we’ll meet one day? But until then, enjoy the music! Best wishes, H
Taking it a bit far to say that the presence of a solo in a Bach composition defined the soloistic performances in Jazz and Rock. More likely Bach has responding to the improvisitory tradition already present which continued *despite* compositional practices.
Thanks for your comment and contribution to the debate.
Indeed, I was pushing the envelope a bit with my title, but I believe it is the longest written solo up to that point, and I was thinking of the long solos in rock and jazz that became the fashion in the 70’s and 80’s.
It like the saying: Mozart music show you Mozart. Beethoven's shows you how to be human. Bach's music shows you the universe.
Not heard this one! Thanks.
The cafe flute is nice. I only have a year of flute as a kid, but I love the flute.
Thank you!
You’re very welcome
Fascinating analysis of one of my favourites, Bach’s Brandenburg Nr. 5.
Thank you 🙏
Fascinating to compare the various renditions.
Isn’t it interesting what makes a particular interpretation work for you?
It’s so highly individual.
But no doubt Bach was the master composer.
His works groove, they swing, they’re ‘in the pocket’, they’re completely satisfying.
And to me this harpsichord solo is the stuff of legends-!
No wonder that to this day, even young and upcoming pop, jazz and rock musicians say that they would love to sit down with Bach if they could….
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks too for your interesting addition to the topic.
I love my old Brandenberg Concertos by the Stuttgart Symphony Orchestra (mid-70's recording) on LP and CD which I think are now out of print. The great Igor Kipnis on the harpsi.
Thanks for sharing
People have said Vivaldi's Four Seasons is the first jazz piece (for what it's worth). This is interesting to see the evolution
Indeed, all musical roads lead to jazz, somehow! 😉 the title was meant more as a hypothetical question based upon the structure of the first movement. If you look at the form of the first movement, with repeated themes and development, ending with a very long solo, after which the full orchestra / band come back in, one more time with the main theme to finish the work, you will find this structure in so many jazz and rock structures, especially in live performances in the 1970’s and 80’s. Key examples include Dave Brubecks’ Take 5, Led Zeppelin’s Moby Dick, and many others. In fact most live jazz combos work this way when playing live. I hope that helps a bit?
Albert Schweitzer wrote: "The Brandenburg concertos are the purest products of Bach's polyphonic style. We seem to see before us what the philosophy of all ages conceives as the fundamental mystery of all things--that self-unfolding of the idea in which it creates its own opposite in order to overcome it, until it finally returns to itself having traversed the whole of existence".
Wow, that’s quite a statement! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing. JS Bach is my favorite. This reminds me of when i was a little kid and my friend and i would compare original instrument orchestras renditiond with modern.
You’re very welcome! I remember disliking traditional instrument orchestras at first. But that’s all changed now.
@@PearlAcoustics yes we had an odd way of rebelling against our parents who liked that decadent post revolutionary classical music, silly wing flapping conductors, trumpets with valves, and the Enlightenment in general. Now I like it all - even Gigi D'Agostino.
@@hippocraticoaf8798 😂👍
Agree with your choices. I’m particularly partial to the flutes and then how they interact with the violins.
Thanks!
Thanks for a lively, entertaining and informative presentation. I was also amused, in an admiring way, to see you had tube (or valve!) electronics. I've heard endless discussions of the relative merits of equipment types, as varied as those of performances; but in the end, not abstract argument but the subjective response to the sound is all that matters for judging - which is extremely personal. 'De gustibus electronicae non est disputandum!' Ah. Now I've investigated your channel, I understand! These are your designs. Kudos!
Glad you enjoyed it, 😉👍
Great listening session, thank you for presenting such a variety of executions/ recordings. I know and love the Concerto Italiano and Concerto Koeln versions. Cafe Zimmerman one sounds less striking to me but it might be down to the fact I’m not familiar with it. Very beautiful staccato in the second movement by the Akademie fuer alte musik Berlin. I will listen to all of them in the next days, then will come back here. Following up after repeated listening of all the versions, I really appreciate the take of Cafe Zimmermann . The clarity is exemplary with a special accent on the contrapuntal structure of the JS Bach composition, revealing and impressive. There is another trait, almost haydnesque softness as opposed to the archaic French style of the Akademie fuer alte musik take on the second movement.
Thank you for your kind words. And thanks too for your very interesting contribution to the topic. Enjoy.
A favorite of mine, and I prefer the Concerto Italiano because there is one instrument per part. With a good system and speakers you can clearly hear all of the parts all of the time. They play with real love for the music and the instruments are beautiful. There is even a video of their recording sessions and a discussion of why Bach appeals to Italian musicians even more than Italian composers!
Oh that’s very interesting to know. Thanks
Rinaldo ALESSANDRINI - founder and conductor of CONCERTO ITALIANO, - after his basic musical education, came to the Baroque period and repertoire as self-taught musician.
I met him several times in Italy at his beginning - early 90s. Once was during a reherseal of MONTEVERDI's madrigals, some friends of me were among the singers.
His version of IL COMBATTIMENTO DI TANCREDI E CLORINDA is the most powerful I ever listened and watched. You can hear the sword's smash.
There is a vast debate over how quick a piece should be played today, that it matches the tempo intended by the composer.
Absolutely. Much is conjecture
Sound and acoustics are great, don't know how you manage to upload such a good sound quality to YT. And the versions are great, technically speaking, can't understand though how you manage to deal with such really speeded up tempi, those are crazy fast to me (I'm a musician myself), this fast tempi trend destroys any attempt to cater for careful articulation, phrasing and little details just gets bogged down in a speed madness while so many notes happen at once. We lose so many little, beautiful, meaningful details in music just for sheer speed. Makes no sense at all... just because I can play fast doesn't mean I must play that fast all the time.
Thanks for the appreciation. Some are rather fast. I agree
My favorite ensemble is still Pinchas Zuckerman and the English Chamber Orchestra for Bach. Oh, on the RCA Red Label.
Ok. I need to dig it out! 🙏
@@PearlAcoustics Thanks. Let me know what you think.
Thank you Harley for a again very inspiring video. Café Zimmermann also recorded a wonderful version of Bachs Goldberg Variations. Highly recommended.
Thanks! You’re very kind. I will definitely check out their Goldberg variations. Thanks for the tip
I totally agree with you. Beautiful rendition.
Sigo periódicamente sus videos y realmente son maravillosos. Me encantó las versiones que ha expuesto. Personalmente me crié con las versiones de Richter (debido a mis 78 años). He escuchados muchas, pero hoy en día, mi preferida es la de Masaaki Suzuki , vale la pena escucharla.
Thank you very much for your kind appreciation. Thanks too for your recommendations, I will give them a listen. Best wishes from Belgium.
To me, into the Fifth, it is like someone is fleeing and lost on the wrong path. But then they rejoin the right path, and there is celebration.
The Academie fur Alte Musik is not just faster, but the paired notes make more of a melody, by accenting the first note of each pair, so you really hear the ascending arpeggios. I notice most of what’s being compared are tempi and the halls they’re recorded in, but there’s also an interpretive difference at work, at least the Academie recording compared to the rest.
Thank you very much for this additional information and fir sharing your conclusion
Really enjoyed this video, thanks Harley. I have Trevor Pinnock's English Concert version which I must have had for 20 years and it still sounds great to my ears. The Café Zimmerman does sound wonderful, but sadly doesn't seem to be available on CD.
Thanks Alan! Please let me reassure you, the cafe Zimmerman is available on CD, I have a box set. From Alpha. (I have the Trevor Pinnock too) 😉 Enjoy!
The Cafe Zimmermann Brandenburgs appear to be available now only as digital downloads. The CDs must have sold out.
You didn't mention that the Cologne recording was, for some reason, in C. Bizarre. I do agree with you about the Cafe Zimmerman: the overall balance, the dialogue between all the instruments in the 2nd movement (including the harpsichord) and the colours which seem to me to give each voice a personality of its own. I'll have to buy it. Gorgeous. That 1st movement theme is printed on my brain since, some 40 years ago, I was made to write it out in Braille from ear as part of my School Certificate (your GCSEs). Your presentation was interesting and instructive.
You're one of the few to notice the difference in pitch, it seems. The Abbado recording is the only one set at modern concert pitch a4= 440Hz. The other recordings favor a4 ~415Hz. The Concerto Cöln Ensemble has a4 at approx. 392Hz, which is well within the range usually associated with baroque performance practice. 'Frequency measurement' or rather producing a pitch of known frequency (Robert Hooke's wheel, later known as Savart wheel) was only invented in 1681. John Shore invented the tuning fork in 1711. Yet, until well into the late 19th century there was no standard pitch. Concert pitch varied greatly. Usually vocal pieces, due to anatomy, were pitched lower than instrumental music.
I enjoyed your presentation. You touched upon my biggest gripe about modern classical music recording, and that is THE BIG RUSH. I don’t understand why they have to rush so much. What's the hurry? Do they have a plane to catch? What's the allure with speed? I'm so thankful I still have my recordings from the 1970s and 80s, when classical music was played leisurely and every note was savored.
Thank you for your kind appreciation. Tempi is always a big discussion amongst musicians. Maybe the current generation of professors had an influence? It’s a trend, just like previously, it was slow. I guess?
I Love The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and Sato with the Amsterdam Bach Project
Thanks for the recommendations!
I picked up the Cafe Zimmerman Brandenburgs 4-5 years ago. They are wonderful! I recommend exploring the larger Zimmerman catalog.
Absolutely!
Thanks once again - very interesting to hear the variations in recordings and arrangements - like you I prefer the Cafe Zimmerman version, which I will be adding to my collection.
You’re very welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!
Brandenburg #5 is merely a minor update to a concerto composed for and performed by the musicians at the court of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Koethen when Bach was his Kapellmeister (1717-1723). An earlier version of #5 has a much shorter "cadenza."
The legend about the dedication to Margrave has be circulating since the 19th century and gives a distorted account of the history of the so-called Brandenburg Concertos. Bach called them "Six Concertos for Diverse Instruments" and none of them were composed for the Margrave, despite the dedication. Unknown to Bach, the Margrave didn't have the resources to perform these concertos, due to cuts in the music budget by his brother, the Prussian king. When Prince Leopold learned that the king had dismissed the excellent virtuoso musicians at the Prussian court, Leopold hired them to perform in his own band under Bach's direction.
Bach reused movements of Brandenburg #1 and #3 in his Leipzig cantatas. When he directed the Leipzig Collegium Musicum concerts, he performed an arrangement of #4 in which he replaced the principal violin with a harpsichord.
There are many copies of earlier versions of the Brandenburgs. There are 13 copies of #5, including an older version that lacked the triplets we're accustomed hearing in the flute and principal violin parts in the 1st movement.
So the oft repeated story that poor little Bach composed 6 concertos than were never performed and were "lost" is essentially BS.
Thank you for this insightful additional information and back story. The myth is busted!
Harley, you hit the nail on the head. The Brandenburgs are good Dixieland with superb syncopation. But the best, head and shoulders over the rest is by " The Virtuosi of England" The analogue tape version was extraordinarily high quality.
Thanks! Will need to track your suggestion down
Good morning, I really appreciated this comparison, especially the version of "Café Zimmermann by Pablo Valetti".
At this point it would also be interesting to compare the recording of the "Freiburger Barockorchester" to the 2014 recording for Harmonia mundi, which according to the CD booklet was made at a very low pitch: A/A=392Hz.
With your speakers it should sound great!
Thank you for your kind words. 392 is very low indeed. I will definitely look them up and put them on my coffee time listening list! 🙏
First time I listened to Brandenburg concertos in 1997 I was amazed! But N. 5 remains my favourite. I said to my friends: would you like to know where modern music come from? Listen to this! I'm so glad we are at least two! The sad part is... nothing is useless than an answer without any question! Anyway, I still get chills listening the vastness of Bach music. Thank you! 😍🎶🎵🎶😍
And can you spend a minute to tell us something about your stereo? I would like to be there! 🤩
Hi thanks for your very kind appreciation. It’s very motivating. I have listed all the components I used in the video in the description. Depending where you live, we can arrange a visit… best wishes, H
Exquisite presentation, thank you very much !
I would recommend also the version by Jordi Savall with Le Concert des Nations in Alia Vox, on SACD.
Thanks! Very kind. Thanks too for the tip, I will certainly give it a listen!
5 has been my fav., although I like all.
Since i started to play a bit jazz after conservatory, as a bach addicted happy victim, i immediately felt the "origin" of jazz in Bach counterpoint, delay, using tritono in clavicembalo ben temperato ... as today i'm a lawyer but i can't live without Jazz & Bach ...
Thanks for sharing your back story. Very interesting. And the great thing is. You. Never need to be without Jazz or Bach!
Not really, jazz is a African American independent invention
@@tesmith47 "african states" maybe, america it's a continent, anyway tritono, delays, improvisations, voices who run together and in contrast, where already created by bach, anyway u can ask to dave brubeck who noticed "the similarity between the figured bass that Bach used with the choir, and the chord progressions that a jazz musician uses" or ask to charles rosen and so on...
Over my years I've collected a number of different recordings of these concertos. The 'slowest' and most "stately" version I have is one of Yehudi Menuhin and the Bath Festival Orchestra. The first movement clocks in at 10:46!
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Yehudi often performed with George Malcolm on harpsichord, his Handel violin sonatas are wonderful,
Decided, the next 4K / AAC 192kbps video (x6) will be a special recording of the six Brandenburg concerts from 1978, on 3 vinyls. I have verified that it is not available on RUclips.
Aston Magna - J.S. Bach - The Brandenburg Concerti (1978) Vinyl x3, Smithsonian Institution, US
👉Recorded on ORIGINAL INSTRUMENTS at the Aston Magna Summer Festival, Great Barrington, Mass., June & July, 1977
Thanks for sharing
47 years ago, DG released the best performance for the Brandenburg Concerts: Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra with Pinchas Zucherman conducting. The recording format was originally for Dolby Cassette tapes, but 40 years later, the PENTATONE label released a remastered version for CD. Indeed, my favorite of this performance was #5 because the harpsichord player was a virtuoso. I don't know his/her name, but I hope you listen to it and let me know your opinion. Happy listening!
Thanks for this tip! Will definitely give it a listen
On that kind of morning, I put on Gould's 1955 Goldberg.
First time I heard jazz in European classical music was Chopin.
You can never go wrong with Gould! 😉 thanks for your comment
Just give me Gould and Richter playing #5; thats all the world needs.
Indeed.. but how do you know until you compare? For me the beauty, lies in peoples abilities to interpret what is there and make it there own, without necessarily changing what is written. I too have my golden recordings that I tend to fall back on, but new versions are like mini holidays. One day you visit one and never entirely return.
@@PearlAcoustics yeh........I mini holidays reference! Thats true but typically I can't get through them. When I pick a netflex series/movie I give them a chance but I can tell pretty soon that I can't get thru it.
Wonderful to hear your views about music that is among my all time favourite. I have multiple versions - and I love the diversity of experiences they collectively deliver - no dislikes at all. My mood dictates what I will listen at any given time. I have, however, a soft corner for Maestro Abbado's version - of which I have the original bluray. It is an audio-visual feast. Though, maestro looks frail and was perhaps not in the best of health during the recording. The bluray delivers fantastically both 2 channel and multi-channel audio - though the multi-channel is more for the ambient parts of the recording with the music being largely confined to L+R speakers.
Thanks for your very kind remarks. And thanks too for the additional information on the Abbado recording. 🙏
@@PearlAcoustics I have come very late to your channel. Whatever little that I have watched thus far - it has indeed been a delight of learning to listen to your measured and erudite discourses on music, equipment, and your personal experiences of recording and designing speakers. Hope you continue to enlighten us. All the very best.
@@rcpdox11 that’s very kind of you. I am so please you enjoy the channel. I’ll keep going as long as the drive pushes me to do so 😉 👍
A Brandenburg concertos recording you might
enjoy-
Paillard Chamber Orchestra. with Jean - Pierre Rampal on flute . one of my Brandenburg favs .
Ok! Thanks for the tip. 👍🙏
Beautiful video! Worthy of Bach’s Standards 👍🏻👍🏻
As a non-musician I perceive the Allegro of the 5th Brandenburg Concerto as a Mathematical marvelous which analyzes the fluctuation of form in similar level of detail (yet, in a FAR more enjoyable way) as Leibniz Calculus does. Curiously Leibniz had born in Leipzig and Bach spent the last part of his life there, just a generation apart in between these Colossal Geniuses.
Thank you. Extremely kind
By a mathematical approach - in case you did not know them - you'll surelu enjoy "The Art of the fugue" and "Goldberg's variations".
First you maybe find it a little boring, too far from the warm melodic breath of Brandebourg's or solo instrument concertos and suites. Day by day, the inner powerful singing will spread from keyboards or chamber ensembles.
@@taf44tt8io absolutely! I was listening to Keith Jarrett’s recording of the Goldberg variations, just this morning. Wonderful.
@@taf44tt8io Thank you. I’m big of a fan of the Goldberg Vars. as Dr. Lecter 😁 About Art of the Fugue I enjoy more The Well Tempered Klavier. Discovered Bach @ 6 years old and has been there for me since.
What we have in common is that I often enlighten my Sunday mornings with the Brandenburgs, too [I "upgraded" from Billie Holiday in the 1990s]. Since its release, the Cafe Zimmermann version [and the Zimmermann Bach box] have been residing on top of my loudspeaker...ready for the "lonely island". I also own the Rinaldo and Loussier recordings and a dozen more.
I would like to point you to a great Canadian recording on Sony's Vivarte label...by "Tafelmusik" directed by the late Jeanne Lamon. Probably as good as Cafe Zimmermann.
According to the booklet, Cafe Zimmermann was kiddy corner from St. Thomas in Leipzig. The ensemble attempts to reproduce the sound of the era...hence the name.
Have not been in St. Thomas since 1988...in an adventurous trip from West Germany over to the communist east.
Your video brings up many valuable memories. Thank you very much.
Thanks for your wonderful comment and additional background information. A very enjoyable read. Thanks for the kind words too.
One of the most important aspect of these concertos that is completely missing from this discussion is the “concerto grosso” instrumentation. Any recording engineer would record and mix with this in mind. Lastly, all the Brandeburgs use klavier (or harpsichord). No. 5 is no exception. What is unusual is the extended cadenza, which is not duplicated in any of the other concertos.
Thanks for your contribution to the topic.
"...the harpsicord you can hardly hear..."
I did a triple take at this moment thinking you were a deaf old fool. The RUclips compression does you no favors. I went to Idagio to listen and wow, what a difference. That Cafe Zimmerman is quite nice, however I find it wonderfully balanced. It's a lovely trio there. The harpsicord isn't in the background at all.
Certainly aren't selling those Pearl speakers to me. Sounds like you are missing out on what a modern technology tweeter can do with high-end accuracy, but thanks for the Cafe Zimmerman recommendation, it's fantastic!
Thanks for your comment.what I meant is the balance is ‘correct’ meaning it’s nicely placed into its natural setting. You’re always welcome to come and listen for yourself one day… 😉
Café Zimmermann for me. I'm going to have to check them out!
👍
Music bible, Genesis 1.1: "In the beginning, Bach ..." 😍
😂
Watch and listen to the Netherlands Bach Society performance of Brandenburg 5 recorded at the Rijksmuseum. Stunning.
Thanks for the tip!
My mum and I went to a Jacques Loussier concert when I was a kid; both, in our ignorance, expecting straight Bach!
I suppose you were either scandalised or disappointed, or both? 😉
@@PearlAcoustics Bemused!
@@davidhowe6905 😀
I've 2 versions in my record collection for many years. These are my reference recordings and that will be the case till I die. On modern instruments under Max Pommer. On authentic or period instruments under Christopher Hogwood. Abbado I keep for things like Brahms, Bruckner etc. I think his talent doesn't lie in Bach interpretation.
Thanks for your comment. I don’t know the Max Pommer.
I thank you for such searching and sensible videos. I don't know what will be the future of recorded music in a streaming environment, especially in what concerns classical music.
The editorial quality of covers and booklets is essential in my view. I've collected this series of Café Zimmermann's recordings of Bach music. At the time, the CDs of the Alpha label were wonderful objects, not only in musical quality but also in their texts and iconography. Every CD contained the reproduction and the discussion of a painting of the period in question, giving us an inspiring dialogue between arts. Physical media is still necessary when the music of the past needs to reach today's listeners.
Thank you for your kind appreciation. I totally agree with you. I too find it a massive shame that streaming services do not include the booklets and covers, front and back. As you so eloquently put it, a great text in a booklet, can stretch our imagination and knowledge to a much higher understanding. I know that Naxos’ streaming library (sadly only for academic usage) contains the booklets and also manuscripts etc. And it covers virtually all classical music CD’s ever recorded.
When you finally hear the amazing cadenza you realize why Bach didn't get the job--because he was lightyears ahead of the competition.
That’s a very interesting thought! The Margrave probably saw him as some kind of ‘punk’! Thanks for sharing
Number 4 sounds like every soundtrack to every movie scene that takes place at a Medieval-esque fair or market.
Thanks for sharing
It is a long-established filmmakers' practice to accompany documentaries on medieval subjects (such as castles, battles, dynasties etc.) with Baroque music, never mind the anachronism thus committed - it's because proper medieval music would sound too unfamiliar and jarring to mass public's unprepared ears whereas an unassuming sonic background is what's relevant. A side-effect, though, is that general public then associates Baroque music with undistinguished remote past rather than a specific half of a specific (XVII or XVIII) Century.
@@greg-warsaw4708 an interesting observation. Thanks for sharing
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Personally, I still love the Wendy Carlos version. Heresy no doubt to some, but still a masterpiece of early electronic programming and performance.
Indeed. Thanks for sharing. It broke boundaries that brought us all forward in our relationship with Bach.
The Cafe Zimmerman version sounds like they recorded close up from the harpsichord. I like how it shines as a solo instrument.
Indeed
Thanks for sharing. To my ears, the recordings in large open spaces (churches, cathedrals, concert halls) have too many overtones and echoes, which loses the intimate "chamber" quality of the Brandenburgs. If you can't hear the harpsichord, then the other players are playing too loud--or the recording engineers are not mixing correctly. Also, recorder is MUCH preferred over flute; this is one reason the Cafe Zimmerman is more pleasing to the ears.
Thank you. I like your reasoning!