Bach, J S: Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV1043 (Double Concerto)

Probably written for the virtuoso Kapelle at Cöthen (BWV1042) or the concerts of the Leipzig Collegium Musicum which the composer often directed himself from the violin, Bach’s three well-known violin concertos are joined here by the splendid Concerto for three violins BWV1064, reconstructed from the surviving version for three harpsichords. A dazzling firework display under the bows of the matchless violinists of the Freiburger Barockorchester.

Freiburger Barockorchester celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2012. A glance at the ensemble’s schedule shows a diverse repertoire played at leading concert halls and opera houses, ranging from the Baroque to the contemporary and from Freiburg to the Far East.

The Freiburgers’ artistic credo, however, remains unchanged and involves assigning demanding solo concertos to players from the orchestra’s own ranks. Cultivated, yet at the same time exciting, ensemble playing has thus become the orchestra’s international trademark.

The FBO collaborates with leading artists such as René Jacobs, Andreas Staier and Thomas Quasthoff and enjoys a close cooperation with harmonia mundi France. The artistic success of this musical partnership has been demonstrated in numerous recordings which have won awards including Edison, Gramophone, ECHO Klassik and a Classical Brit Award.

Under the artistic directorship of its two Konzertmeisters Gottfried von der Goltz and Petra Müllejans, and under the baton of selected conductors, the FBO presents around 100 performances per year in a variety of formations from chamber to opera orchestra.

The performers on this recording of popular Bach works are the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra and its principals (as the soloists). According to “Gramophone” the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is the best orchestra in the world. In other words: better quality than this you won’t find.

Highlights from Bach's concerto repertoire, presented with a sure sense of style that combines musical quality with the sound of sensuous strings. Performed by a true "dream team" – Itzhak Perlman, Daniel Barenboim and the English Chamber Orchestra –, who are joined for the famous Double Concerto by Perlman's fellow violinist Pinchas Zukerman.

The Czech violinist Váša Príhoda has been somewhat forgotten.

He was famous for the warmth of his tone and brilliant technique.

These studio recordings were made in Torino in 1957.

In addition to recording the Bach Violin Concertos with Henryk Szeryng, Neville Marriner and the Academy also recorded two LPs of arrangements (made by Christopher Hogwood) of harpsichord concertos. These colourful arrangements are for oboe, flute and violin in various combinations. They were issued originally on two Argo LPs to great critical acclaim and are here reissued collectively on a 2CD set for the first time in celebration of the Academy’s 50th anniversary this year, these recordings are reissued as part of a series of reissues on Eloquence. Christopher Hogwood’s illuminating notes are included.

First collective reissue of a much-requested set of concertos on CD

A year-long Eloquence celebration of Marriner and the Academy’s recordings for Decca and Philips.

2010 re-package of the famous recording of Bach's Violin Concertos and the Concerto for Oboe Kennedy made together with the Berliner Philharmoniker

Most of us think of Kennedy as a rebel with a musical cause: a people's violinist, master of Elgar and Ellington, provocative in spirit but musically astute. In both Johann Sebastian Bach and Nigel Kennedy we have free-ranging spirits with huge appetites for their music .

Such is the beauty of Bach's music that Nigel claims he finds something new to explore, to understand everytime he raises his violin and performs Bach's work. Interestingly, he sees many comparisons between the best of jazz compositions and much of Bach's repertoire.

Bach loved the dances of the day: not only those of his native Germany, but also the varied forms that originated in England, France, Italy and Poland. Many of the movements in his instrumental works are in fact musically sophisticated dances and you can hear elements of that keen rhythmic sense throughout the four concertos recorded here.

Nigel Kennedy was the recipient of the "Outstanding Contribution to Classical Music" award from the UK 2000 Classical Brit Awards the same year he recorded this album.

To this day, Kennedy still declines to play by any one set of rules. Over the past decade or so, as well as recording Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Mlynarski and Karlowicz, he has laid his personal instrumental stamp on the songs of Jimi Hendrix, the Doors and Kate Bush; performed the violin intro to Baba O'Riley on stage with the Who; invited Jeff Beck onto the Prom stage with the NKQ; explored traditional klezmer music with the Polish band, Kroke, and dug deep into the roots of modern jazz on the Blue Note Sessions, an album he recorded in NYC in 2006 with legends Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette.

Now dividing his time between homes in London and Krakow, where he lives with his Polish-born wife of 10 years, Agnieszka, Kennedy has never felt more free to pursue his boundary-free musical objectives. "I'm enjoying my music much more than ever as I’m playing exactly what I want - it’s become a deeper experience and enjoyment for me, savouring the moment more, not thinking about the future or the past but thinking about now."

"Across the world thrusting young violinists are two a penny, but there is only Julia Fischer." Geoff Brown, The Times

Julia is one of the fastest rising music stars in the world today. Her first Decca release features some of the most commercial violin repertoire of Bach concertos and will set a new benchmark for Bach recordings.

25-year-old Julia Fischer is already being hailed as one of the truly great violinists of the twenty-first century acclaimed as "Artist of the Year" in the prestigious Classic FM Gramophone Awards 2007 and voted "Best Newcomer" by BBC Music Magazine in 2006. At the age of eleven, Julia Fischer not only carried off the top prize at the 1995 International Yehudi Menuhin Competition (overseen by Lord Menuhin himself) but was awarded a special prize for "Best Bach Solo Work". Her 2006 BBC Music Magazine "Best Newcomer" Award was also given in response to her Bach playing - specifically her complete recording of the solo Sonatas & Partitas, of which the jury said: "There are many recordings of Bach’s works for solo violin but rarely do they reach such breathtaking heights of musicianship as this one.

Johann Sebastian Bach collected six concertos together, which must have been written over a considerable period such is their difference in style, for dedication to the Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg in March 1721. It is thought that either Bach was commissioned or seeking a move from Cöthen to become chapel organist at the princely court, but what is certain he did not get a new job nor even a letter of thanks from the Margrave whose orchestra was too small to perform them. They have become popular classics in their field owing to their being distinctly different from the standard type of concerto grosso. This Bach achieved by the use of a variety of solo combinations and the virtuosity required by these soloists. The concertos for violin also date from his time in Cöthen and have become favourites of soloists and audiences alike through their charm and beauty. Yehudi Menuhin was a leading exponent of the music of Bach throughout his life and here he conducts and plays with his Bath Festival Orchestra in recordings dating from 1958/9.