Bach, J S: Trio Sonata No. 5 in C major, BWV529

Transcribers and arrangers have had a field day during the great rediscovery of J.S. Bach.… But the transcriptions of the organ works, meant to get the works out of the temple and bring them to the stage, played a particularly important part. The Trio-Sonatas, for a long time considered unplayable in concert, caught the attention of important personalities of the piano, from Ferdinand Thieriot, friend of Brahms, to ‘Mr Bach’, Hermann Keller, in 20th century Germany. Rediscovered by Arthur Schanz, scientific adviser for this production and undisputed specialist regarding Bach’s transcriptions, these sonatas in their version for two pianos, performed here by a duo of partners on stage as in life, provide sheer pleasure to the ear and mind. They also contribute to a never-ending task, dear to Fuga Libera: the reflexion on the genius of Bach.

The Brook Street Band, feted for their imaginative and stylish Handel recordings offer their first of the music of J S Bach.

The Brook Street Band burst on to the scene in 2003 with their Avie debut, the world premiere recording of Handel’s ‘Oxford’ Water Music, a genuine chamber arrangement of the composer’s ever-popular suite which earned the period-instrument ensemble an Editor’s Choice from Gramophone. Since then the all-girl group, named for the London street where Handel lived and composed for most of his working life in England, has released three further Handel surveys which prove their own adept skills at arranging.

They now apply the age-old practice to their first recording of the music of J S Bach, adapting his Organ Sonatas to their own instrumentation of two violins, harpsichord and cello. The result is yet another unique approach from the Brook Street Band, whose sheer pleasure in sharing this wonderful music shines though in their radiant renditions.

“The Band is as deliciously poised and pertinent as ever.” BBC Music Magazine

“The smartest new baroque band around.” The Times

“Stylish and imaginative…Their pleasure in the music is infectious.” Gramophone

Volume 5 of Margaret Phillips’ on-going and critically-acclaimed cycle of the complete organ works of JS Bach, featuring the best of historic instruments.

Two CD set at ‘two-for-one’ price.

This volume includes the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV565, the ‘Dorian’ Toccata and Fugue BWV 538 and a varied selection of large- and small-scale works which form a satisfying self-contained recital of Bach’s organ music on each of the two CDs.

Originating in Italy, the trio sonata imposed itself as one of the major musical forms of the 18th century. Having been formalised in sharply contrasting movements by Corelli, it seduced composers who found within it a means to develop their thematic ideas and to free themselves from the framework of the suite of dances in a new aesthetic spirit, that of chamber music. It would normally have been executed by 3 musicians at least, each one playing as best he could the melodic line assigned to him. Bach however, never doing things as everybody else, composed a series of six sonatas for the organ, adapting the chamber music style to this quintessential church instrument. Born in 1985, Benjamin Alard is already one of the leading figures of the young baroque generation. In 2004 he won First Prize and the Audience Award at the Bruges International Harpsichord Competition and in 2007 garnered First Prize at the Gottfried-Silbermann International Organ Competition in Freiberg. For his first Alpha recording, he plays the grand organ of the church of Saint-Louis en l'Île, where he was appointed in 2005, a German style instrument conceived by Bernard Aubertin, which is the most recent organ to have been built in Paris.

Australian organist Christopher Wrench plays Bach’s Sonatas BWV 525-530 on the organ of Garnisons Kirke, Copenhagen. Christopher Wrench commands a broad solo repertoire including the complete organ works of Bach, whilst also working as a liturgical musician, pedagogue and chamber player. He teaches organ at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and directs the music programme at St Mary’s Anglican Church, Kangaroo Point in Brisbane. In 2008 he was awarded the Lord Mayor’s Australia Day Cultural Award for his outstanding contribution to the musical life of Brisbane.

“From the moment I first played the Lund reconstruction of the Garnisons Kirke organ when preparing for a recital in 1998, I dreamt of recording the Bach Organ Sonatas on the instrument. With my strong interest in informed performance practice, there was no doubt in my mind that the tonal freshness of this particular instrument and the exceptional agility of its mechanism would provide a superb medium for the realisation of Bach’s musical vision.”Christopher Wrench

The Quadro Hypothesis Bach recordings are made on period instruments in the broken consort style. Specifically the ensemble comprises of flutes, viols, violins (represented by a Baroque cello) and lutes (represented by Baroque lute and theorbo). The result is a very clear reading of the scores which is particularly suited to bringing out the dialogues between the various voices.

The disc also features works from the Well-tempered Clavier transcribed for three melodic instruments by W.A. Mozart

Bach Trio Sonatas / Bach Sonatas and Chorales” explores the music of Bach’s Leipzig and includes the complete trio sonatas as well as some beautiful arrangements of chorales.

The Palladian Ensemble (originally Rachel Podger, Pamela Thorby, Joanna Levine and William Carter) was a double-award winning group even before they released their first album, and made their Wigmore Hall debut in 1993. Gamba player Susanne Heinrich and the prize-winning violinist Rodolfo Richter replaced Joanna Levine and Rachel Podger, but the Palladian Ensemble continued to tour extensively throughout the UK enjoying consistent popularity with audiences and critics.

The Palladian Ensemble were five times winners of the prestigious Diapason d'Or Award, (1993, 1994, 1998, 1999 and 2000) and twice had albums named Gramophone "Editor's Choice".