Bach, J S: Orchestral Suites Nos. 1-4, BWV1066-1069

“There is novelty value in this seriously conceived set of Bach's four Orchestral Suites...[Il Fondamento] may not be the most polished of ensembles, in matters of blend and tuning especially, but they bring a dialect of warmth and spirited engagement to each dance” Gramophone Magazine, September 2011

“[Dombrecht's] Dutch period instrument ensemble plays with polish and energy, and the recording is superb.” International Record Review, July/August 2011

“Concerto Köln makes its mark among a host of recordings through the players' meticulous attention to detail - new subtleties struck me at each repeated listening...It's invidious to pick a high spot, but I've never enjoyed the First Suite more, ideally balanced in both engineering and playing...this is a first-rate set from beginning to end.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2011 *****

“each of these invigorating works springs with balletic suavity and a ready instinct for gesture; embellishments are always exquisitely judged and speeds often surprising in the quixotic juxtaposition of fast and very fast.” Gramophone Magazine, January 2011

“There's a preference for fast speeds and transparent textures, but never any breathless rush. Instead, what Concerto Köln has achieved here is a revitalizing sense of dance...These immensely engaging performances feel entirely 'right' in the dance movements, above all because they are played as real (or at least stylized) dances rather than as titles for abstract movements.” International Record Review, March 2011

“Scholars are now sure that Bach did not plan his four orchestral suites as a set – unlike the six Brandenburg Concertos. It seems likely, then, that the stylistic diversity exhibited in the suites is inadvertent, not, as in the case of the Brandenburgs, an overt display of compositional virtuosity.
On recordings, however, the suites are usually presented as an entity, so the fact that each has its own identifiable personality actually has taken on interpretive significance.
On this Telarc disc, Martin Pearlman effectively delineates the unique character of each work. The C major Suite is essentially lyrical, its phrases unfolding in long, florid arcs; the B minor suite is more fidgety, particularly in the Overture, with its tense trills; and the two D major suites combine grandeur and gaiety. Yet Pearlman remains true to the specific nature of each dance form, as well – listen to the four bourées in succession (the only dance that appears in every suite), for example, and you will find a remarkable consistency of tempo and spirit.
Special attention has also been paid to details of instrumental balance, with admirably transparent results. Some might prefer a bit more thrust and bite from the trumpets in the D major works, where Pearlman prefers to blend the brass into the orchestral fabric, but the sound is still exhilaratingly brilliant.
The crystalline quality of Telarc's recording reveals a few slight imperfections in the strings' intonation; otherwise Boston Baroque's virtuosity and élan leaves little to be desired. Indeed, the Bostonians' interpretation is a strong contender in a crowded field.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010