# Best recording of the J.S. Bach Harpsichord Concertos (played on the harpsichord)



## UnTalBilly

Hi. I've heard some separate movements of Bach's Harpsichord Concertos and I'm in love, can't get enough of them. Anyways I want to listen to an actual recording of them and I'm looking for suggestions. I would prefer it if they were played on the harpsichord.
By the way, I'm referring mainly to his concertos for 1 harpsichord, but when I'm done with that I would like to move to the others (2, 3 and 4 harpsichords). The Concerto for 4 Harpsichords, which is based on Vivaldi's Concerto for 4 Violins in B minor (if i remember correctly), is pretty crazy. Hadn't heard so many keyboard instruments at once in my life, and the result is great.


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## JSBach85

UnTalBilly said:


> Hi. I've heard some separate movements of Bach's Harpsichord Concertos and I'm in love, can't get enough of them. Anyways I want to listen to an actual recording of them and I'm looking for suggestions. I would prefer it if they were played on the harpsichord.
> By the way, I'm referring mainly to his concertos for 1 harpsichord, but when I'm done with that I would like to move to the others (2, 3 and 4 harpsichords). The Concerto for 4 Harpsichords, which is based on Vivaldi's Concerto for 4 Violins in B minor (if i remember correctly), is pretty crazy. Hadn't heard so many keyboard instruments at once in my life, and the result is great.


Harpsichord concertos are my favourite instrumental works by JS Bach, I personally prefer concertos for 3 and 4 harpsichords. Among the recordings I own Pinnock set contains the Complete Harpsichord Concertos (BWV 1052-1058, 1060-1065) for single harpsichord and 2,3,4 harpsichords. Pinnock is my favourite option since has some of the most famous and best harpsichord players: Pinnock, Gilbert, Kraemer, Mortensen. Very fluid conducting, excellent playing and technically impeccable.

Pinnock - Bach. The Complete Harpsichord Concertos. Archiv.









Other recordings of single harpsichord concertos (BWV 1052-1057) I own and I would recommend:

Pierre Hantai - Le Concert Français. Astree.









Koopman - The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. Erato.


















Finally I just ordered this recording:

Bob van Asperen - Melante Amsterdam.


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## UnTalBilly

Thank you kind sir! I think I'll go with the Pinnock and see where the future leads me to


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## JSBach85

UnTalBilly said:


> Thank you kind sir! I think I'll go with the Pinnock and see where the future leads me to


Pinnock includes concertos for 2,3,4 harpsichords BWV 1060-1065. BWV 1065 is my favourite baroque concerto, where Bach made a transcription of Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto for 4 violins in B minor, from 'Lestro armonico' Op. 3 no.10, RV 580. He used four harpsichords and orchestra. This is thus the only harpsichord concerto by Bach which was not an adaptation of his own material. In the middle movement, Bach has the four harpsichords playing differently-articulated arpeggios in a very unusual tonal blend, while providing some additional virtuosity and tension in the other movements. It's simply a majestic work of art.

Bach - Concerto for 4 Harpsichords in A Minor BWV 1065 - 1/3. Trevor Pinnock. Kenneth Gilbert. Lars Ulrik Mortensen. Nicholas Kraemer. The English Concert.





Bach - Concerto for 4 Harpsichords in A Minor BWV 1065 - 2/3. Trevor Pinnock. Kenneth Gilbert. Lars Ulrik Mortensen. Nicholas Kraemer. The English Concert.





Bach - Concerto for 4 Harpsichords in A Minor BWV 1065 - 3/3. Trevor Pinnock. Kenneth Gilbert. Lars Ulrik Mortensen. Nicholas Kraemer. The English Concert.





This is the original concerto composed by Vivaldi RV 580 for four violins performed by Antonini/Il Giardino Armonico: (personally I prefer Europa Galante but I am quite happy with Giardino Armonico)





Other recordings I own with BWV 1065 and concertos for 2,3,4 harpsichords are the following:

Koopman. The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. Harpsichord Concertos BWV 1060, 1061, 1062, 1065. Erato.









Bob Van Asperen. Melante Amsterdam. Concertos For 2, 3 & 4 Harpsichords. Virgin.









Pieter-Jan Belder. Musicas Amphion. Concertos for 2, 3 & 4 Harpsichords. Brilliant Classics.


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## Josquin13

Here's an overview:

The problem with performances of Bach's Harpsichord Concertos is that the harpsichord tends to get drowned out by the rest of the ensemble, and as a result, the harpsichord line can become so faint & tinkly that it often gets lost within the instrumental mix (such as on Pieter-Jan Belder's Musica Amphion set, which I wouldn't recommend). Of course, losing the harpsichord is a big negative from the standpoint of hearing Bach's full score (nor is it what he intended, obviously).

Naturally, this isn't a problem with recordings made on a piano, since the piano is loud enough to be heard over the rest of the ensemble. However, that isn't the case with a harpsichord.

Musicians and sound engineers have attempted to find two ways around this problem: (I) They reduce the size of the ensemble to a small chamber group, putting only one player on a part: which is most likely how Bach himself performed these concertos, since the harpsichord is usually more clearly heard this way (though it depends on the size of the venue & the balances of the recording too). (1) A prime example is the complete set of HCs played on 4 different antique harpsichords by Davit Moroney, Arthur Haas, Karen Flint, and others, on the Plectra label, where the performances work exceptionally well, IMO, and I'd strongly recommend them (though some allowances must be made for the fact that these are truly old harpsichords, even if they do sound beautiful, as there are some minor imperfections due to the age of the instruments--which didn't bother me at all):

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Har...3&sr=1-88&keywords=bach+harpsichord+concertos

There are several other excellent 'one player to a part' recordings too: (2) from Melante Amsterdam, with harpsichordist Bob Van Asperen (& Gustav Leonhardt)--which is likewise a complete set, and (3) two single CD recordings from Pierre Hantai, Marc Hantai (in the Triple Concerto), & François Fernandez, with Le Concert Français, and (4) from Bertrand Cuiller & Stradivaria:

The reissue: https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Concert...&sr=1-3&keywords=pierre+Hantai+Bach+concertos
The above also comes in a discount 2 for 1 set (coupled with Hantai's excellent Goldberg Variations):
https://www.amazon.com/Goldberg-Variations-Concertos-J-S-BACH/dp/B002NVLXBO/ref=sr_1_6?
The original release: https://www.amazon.com/J-S-Bach-Con...catcorr&keywords=pierre+Hantai+Bach+concertos

https://www.amazon.com/Harpsichord-...swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1520715074&sr=8-3
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Concert...ords=melante+amsterdam+asperen+Bach+concertos
These were originally released by EMI Reflexe, & if you do a search, you may find those issues too:
https://www.amazon.com/Harpsichord-...ords=melante+amsterdam+asperen+Bach+concertos

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Concert...=1-1&keywords=bertrand+cuiller+Bach+concertos

(5) You might also sample Lars Ulrik Mortensen's fine Concerto Copenhagen set too (in three volumes), since they have more recent sound engineering (2002), which you might prefer. Mortensen also uses a 'reduced' ensemble (though for some reason it doesn't always sound like it):

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/jan04/Bach_Mortensen.htm
https://www.amazon.com/Concertos-Ha...rd_wg=FAeiO&psc=1&refRID=XMPSAK437ZQ5RQXGSA8S
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Harpsic...6&sr=1-26&keywords=bach+harpsichord+concertos
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Harpsic...rd_wg=aDNbL&psc=1&refRID=3QER33T253W6VS9JNC3D

(6) There is also a more expensive complete set from Café Zimmermann, which was initially spread out over many individual CDs, since the HCs came coupled with other concertos (on the original releases), or as part of the later box set:

https://www.amazon.com/Concertos-I-...20715296&sr=1-1&keywords=Cafe+zimmermann+bach

Personally, I don't think Café Zimmermann's performances are any better than the 'one player to a part' recordings that I've listed above, and in some ways they may not be quite as good. So, I don't think their set is worth the extra money, that is, if you only want to purchase the harpsichord concertos right now. Nor do I think you can go wrong with any of the above recordings, so long as you take the time to sample from them (& read various reviews), in order to find out which you like best.

(7) Finally, there is also an older 'one instrument to a part' set from Gustav Leonhardt, with both the Leonhardt Consort and Concentus Musicus Wien (with harpsichordist Herbert Tachezi). But, as the Gramophone critic points out in the review linked below, even though Leonhardt mostly uses only one instrument to a part, the harpsichord still tends to get drowned out by the strings (due to 'faulty balances' produced by the poor recording)--so this is one you probably want to avoid:
https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/bach-harpsichord-concertos-1

(II) The second solution that ensembles and sound engineers have opted for is to place the microphones very close to the harpsichord, which amplifies the sound of the instrument, making it louder within a larger ensemble. This approach can work too, but of course it's not a natural sound, nor is it an organic blend with the other instruments, since the microphones have altered the sound of the harpsichord within the ensemble.

I call these performances 'big band' versions myself (even though they aren't exactly large ensembles either). The best performances I've heard among groups that take this approach are: (1) Trevor Pinnock & The English Concert, and (2) Ton Koopman and The Amsterdam Baroque Soloists. Both sets are very good, though Koopman's Amsterdam set tends to be my first choice, as I think it's extra special. Unfortunately, Koopman's survey has never been released in a box set (to my knowledge), so if interested, you'll have to acquire it on individual CDs, which are now mostly out of print:

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Harpsic...ywords=ton+koopman+bach+harpsichord+concertos
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Klavier...1-1&keywords=ton+koopman+bach+klavierkonzerte
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Klavier...1-2&keywords=ton+koopman+bach+klavierkonzerte

Erato did later reissue these three CDs as imports (in the US), so you might be able to find those releases too, if you do a further search. The following list shows a photo of what these CD imports looked like:

http://www.jsbach.net/recordings/index-concertos.html

In addition, one of the three Koopman discs has been digitally remastered and reissued in recent years on the Elatus label: http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=183696

Among the complete sets that I've not heard, you might additionally sample from the following three recordings, which have all received strong reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Complet...9247&sr=1-4&keywords=rousset+harpsichord+bach

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-J-S-Har...rd_wg=vlbmi&psc=1&refRID=QMW34RGRJ8Z7RB2GVE54

https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/c...certos-for-solo-harpsichord-and-strings-vol-1
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Harpsic...tcorr&keywords=aapo+hakkinen+bach+harpsichord
https://www.amazon.com/Concerti-Cem...?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1520717950&sr=1-2-catcorr
https://www.aeolus-music.com/ae_en/All-Discs/Editions/Bach-Harpsichord-Concertos
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/Jan13/Bach_concertos_AE10057.htm

While I may purchase the Aapo Häkkinen Helsinki cycle myself at some point, over the years I've been most happy with my 'one player to a part' recordings from Davit Moroney & co. on Plectra, Pierre Hantai's single recording with Le concert Français, and Ton Koopman's Erato set with The Amsterdam Baroque Soloists.

Hope that helps.

P.S.--Given the problematic nature of recording a harpsichord, if you find you really love this music, you might also want to invest in one or two recordings on a piano, in order to hear all of Bach's ingenious part writing more clearly (as the piano never gets drowned out, and personally, I can find that more intellectually satisfying, even if it is 'sacrilege' to say, for an ardent period enthusiast like myself). With that in mind, I'd strongly recommend David Fray's brilliant recent recording:

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Keyboar...703&sr=1-1&keywords=david+Fray+bach+concertos

Andre Gavrilov's complete set on EMI is also very good (as is Martin Stadtfeld's set on Sony too).


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## UnTalBilly

That was a very interesting read. You surely know your harpsichord. Thank you for pointing all of those recordings and their faults and merits.


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## Mal

There's lots of competition here - the "Third Ear" guide has nine top recommendations, and several "worthy" others. I have Perahia's piano set, which has left me not feeling a great need for a harpsichord set... though I'm slightly tempted to get Pinnock to compare... Though I would probably go for "J.S. Bach: Concertos (5 CDs) Mar 13, 2001 by The English Concert and Trevor Pinnock" which isn't much more expensive than the harpsichord set, and I'd like period instrument versions of the other concertos - this is Penguins key pick for all the concertos.


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## wkasimer

I love this set by Cafe Zimmermann:


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## HistoryJoe

I just realized my only recording of these is the old Nonesuch LP box with the Collegium Musicum of Paris. Finding this thread, I think it's time to move on to the Pinnock collection. I about wore out my old LP set over the years. Thanks for the advice here


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