Karl Richter’s recordings of Bach’s orchestral and
sacred music influenced an entire generation of musicians and listeners,
presenting the conductor’s unique sound and style. When Richter recorded
Bach’s works, he freed them from a ponderous tradition that had mired
the music in romantic sounds and idiom. Richter lightened Bach’s music,
and, with an orchestra of outstanding musicians, helped bring it toward
the more modern interpretations that listeners have become familiar
with today. This is still a bit far from the historically-informed performances
that are pretty much the norm, but there is a unity and natural originality
that comes through the music in these recordings.
This set includes Richter’s excellent recordings of
the Brandenburg concertos, the Orchestral Suites, and the Triple Concerto
for flute, violin, harpsichord and strings. In the Brandenburgs, Richter
provides a light, airy sound for the strings, very different from what
was common in the 1960s. His tempi, relatively quick, give the music
vigour it had not known perhaps for some 200 years. The instruments
take their rightful place here as soloists in an ensemble, and the balance
among them is exemplary. Rare indeed, even today, are the conductors
who manage to play the Second Concerto with such joy and brio as Richter.
Each instrument - the trumpet, the flute, and the oboe - stands out
perfectly in the first movement, with its brilliantly lively tempo.
The contrast of the second movement, andante, is excellent, and the
trumpet shines again as the third movement opens, in this delightful
performance.
Richter’s Orchestral Suites are much denser than the
Brandenburgs, and the tempi more "standard". He reads these
more as symphonies than suites, but, then again, he puts his own imprimatur
on the music. They sound a bit too German, and not French enough for
my taste, but one cannot ignore that these performances are full of
deep spirit and thought.
All in all, this is a first class set, and one which
deserves its place in the history of Bach recordings. It is great to
see that Archiv has re-released these recordings in their Originals
series. While this is not the "best" recording of these works
(is it even possible to consider that any recording of them could be
perfect?), it is beautiful and moving. At this mid-price, this is certainly
worth owning for fans of Bach and those who appreciate Richter’s unique
style.
Kirk McElhearn
Münchner Bach Orchester,
Karl Richter