This album carries the listener off to the year 1721 to a glittering baroque feast. The composition for this sound story has been written by Johann Sebastian Bach. Coaches arrive at twilight bringing superbly dressed guests; from afar sound the first tones of Bach’s new oeuvre 'Six Concerts Avec plusieurs Instruments'. Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg-Schwedt is the host and to him Bach dedicates this music that will later become world famous under the title 'The Brandenburg Concertos'. An orchestra consisting of over 20 musicians with horns, trumpets and string instruments unfolds on a square. Italian overtures resound; fugues, concerti grossi and group concertos alternate. Bach creates a firework in the truest sense.
Die Freitagsakademie, an ensemble of the best Swiss baroque musicians, plays the six concertos. The recording is analogue without digital tricks and the interpretation in natural sound promises to be a listening experience. Stefan Winter produces AudioFilms (Cinema for closed Eyes). This 'Celebration' creates with the amazing Freitagsakademie an enchanting time travel to the courtly world of the 18th century. This two CD album leaves the convention of classical music recording behind and becomes a sound film.
February 2013
“The performances by the Swiss period-instrument ensemble Die Freitagsakademie are spirited and graceful, on a wonderfully natural-sounding two-track analogue recording … Vital Julian Frey offers a winning harpsichord cadenza in the Fifth, Markus Wursch is on excellent form on the trumpet in the Second … Presentation is what we’ve come to expect from Winter & Winter: an elegant corrugated card digipak with good-quality paper.”
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