# Non-standard instrumentation



## Buxtehude (Jun 14, 2018)

The Art of the Fugue thread in Recorded... got me thinking about what I like to listen to.


My tastes are very much guided by sound. I personally don't like the high violin timbre, so I avoid many string quartet and violin concerto pieces. However, I just got a recording of Ravel string 4tet arranged for wind 5tet and really enjoyed it. I know I am missing on much good music, but I will tolerate things on other instruments that I won't on solo (or featured) violin.

Also, I enjoy finding new nuances in a familiar piece played by a different instrument. I heard Bach's organ pieces before I heard the original Vivaldis from which they were transcribed and I get more from them with a different sound

Finally, there are styles of music I don't usually enjoy, but I will tolerate them if it is an instrument I like. Hindemith pieces for clarinet come to mind, as I usually do not seek out other works by this composer.

So let me know what you think about non-standard instrumentation, and what are some good recommendations. For the sake of being concise, let's exclude from the discussion any keyboard work performed on another keyboard instrument. Like Art of the Fugue on piano, organ, or whatever. However, if you want to include AotF for brass quintet, that's good. Also, to avoid thread clutter, let's avoid the discussion of historical instruments vs modern ones.


To get started : Bach English and French Suites by Safri Duo on marimbas. I know, marimba is kind of a keyboard, but it is different enough in timbre to qualify.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

I too enjoy different sounds and interesting timbres that aren't traditional. Try these two. The Hans Gal music for mandolin is exquisite. The Balalaika music (and there are many more recordings) is just sensational playing; exciting and so musical.


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## Clouds Weep Snowflakes (Feb 24, 2019)

A good childhood friend of mine plays Classical music on a classical guitar; does that count?


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

I recently heard Sibelius' Valse Triste played on six double-basses. It was superb.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

It would be valuable to get a list of the different types of instruments Bach’s cello suites have been played on.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

^ certainly double bass, viola, violin, and guitar.


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## Buxtehude (Jun 14, 2018)

I found this :

*In His Own Words: Bela Fleck's Top Five Favorite Unusual Bach Interpretations:
*
1. I love Edgar Meyer's Unaccompanied Cello Suites recording. Playing them on the bass is an accomplishment, but this recording is not a task. It's a revelation.

2. Chris Thile showed a lot of his cards when he recorded Bach: Sonatas and Partitas last year. We already knew he was a monster player, but the depth keeps on getting revealed. This recording is a position statement for the mandolin and explains a lot about Chris's influences. You can also check out The Punch Brother's version of The Brandenburg Concerto.

3. There is an unusual piece on this recording [Bach: Violin Concertos by Hilary Hahn] that was written for two harpsichords and transcribed for violin. It is one of my favorite Hilary recordings ever. It's called Concerto for Two Harpsichords in Cm BWV 1060. She pulverizes this music, as she does with all her Bach. It doesn't get any better than this.

4. Can I go left for a moment and bring up the Swingle Singers' "Spotlight On Bach." I loved the way that music was used in the film "Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid," so I guess it predisposed me to an open mind towards this recording. It's so squaresville, and I kind of love it.

5. Joshua Redman played a lovely Bach adagio on "Walking Shadows," his 2103 release. His saxophone version brings out a fragility that imparts something quite poignant to Bach.

Bonus: And here's a strange bedfellows Bach piece to finish off with. It's a Christmas Cantata BWV 248, played by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, with Edgar Meyer guesting on our holiday album. Here we have Edgar playing the vocal part, and Jeff Coffin on soprano sax, Victor Wooten on electric bass, me on banjo, and future man providing a groove. The album is called "Jingle All The Way."


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