# JS Bach - specific recommendations



## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

Recommend me music (and recordings, if you wish) by J. S. Bach that

1) does include more than one stringed instrument, and

2) does not include vocals.


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## Picander (May 8, 2013)

I'd suggest Brandenburg Concert number 6.

I have the blu-ray with this recording and I think it's very good:


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

All six Brandenburgs and the four Orchestral Suites as performed on CD by Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert. Archiv #D 284161. Period instruments. Love 'em all!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Concerto for Three Violins in C major, BWV1064
Concerto for Two Violins in C minor, BWV 1060
Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV1043 (Double Concerto)
Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV1052
Violin Concerto in G minor, BWV1056
Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, BWV1041
Violin Concerto No. 2 in E major, BWV1042

*David Oistrakh* (violin)


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## Andolink (Oct 29, 2012)

You do realize that by ruling out all of Bach's vocal music that you're ruling out about 95% of Bach's greatest music, right?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Andolink said:


> You do realize that by ruling out all of Bach's vocal music that you're ruling out about 95% of Bach's greatest music, right?


If that's want O.P that's what O.P gets.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Xaltotun said:


> Recommend me music (and recordings, if you wish) by J. S. Bach that
> 
> 1) does include more than one stringed instrument, and
> 
> 2) does not include vocals.


You should certainly check the fugues recorded by The Emerson Quartet. If that's the sort of thing you're after I'll think about decent recordings of Art of Fugue for quartet. You can do better than Emerson for AoF.

Also try the gamba sonatas played in a group of viol, double bass and keyboard on a CD with Bruno Cocset, Bertrand Cuiller and someone else whose name I forget. Peter Wispelwey did a similar thing I think. If that's the sort of music you like, I'll try to think of a suitable recording of the trio sonatas.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Concerto for Three Violins in C major, BWV1064
> Concerto for Two Violins in C minor, BWV 1060
> Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV1043 (Double Concerto)
> Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV1052
> ...


Would you mind to specify the recordings, you are thinking of (label, aquisition number) ?


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

Andolink said:


> You do realize that by ruling out all of Bach's vocal music that you're ruling out about 95% of Bach's greatest music, right?


So you think Bach's instrumental music is wastly inferior to his vocal music?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

premont said:


> Would you mind to specify the recordings, you are thinking of (label, aquisition number) ?


Just click on the on the site link. :tiphat:

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/wi/Bach%2C+J+S/Wind+concertos


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

The orchestral suites. There are six I think? Four at least. They are wonderful.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Just click on the on the site link. :tiphat:
> 
> http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/wi/Bach%2C+J+S/Wind+concertos


Well, It was your mentioning of David Oistrakh in the context of BWV 1052R, 1056R,1060R and 1064R which made me curious.
As far as I know he only recorded BWV 1041, 1042 and 1043.


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## Andolink (Oct 29, 2012)

premont said:


> So you think Bach's instrumental music is wastly inferior to his vocal music?


Not necessarily, there's just about 5-6 times more of it than the purely instrumental works. And I do think that his greatest music is found there. But the Brandenburgs, the solo works (keyboard, violin, cello), the violin and harpsichord concertos and, to a lesser extent, the organ works, are brimming over with genius too.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Andolink said:


> Not necessarily, there's just about 5-6 times more of it than the purely instrumental works. And I do think that his greatest music is found there. But the Brandenburgs, the solo works (keyboard, violin, cello), the violin and harpsichord concertos and, to a lesser extent, the organ works, are brimming over with genius too.


I don't think there's anything lesser about the organ works. Actually, I'd go with Bach organ over his other genres.


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2016)

Check out Fretwork's recording of the Goldberg Variations. And I also prefer their recording of the Art of Fugue to that by the Emerson String Quartet. 

The Brandenburg Concertos are must haves. Pinnock is good, but I prefer a few others, including Alessandrini with Concerto Italiano on the Naive label. Jordi Savall's recording is also not bad.

The Orchestral Suites are good as well. A recording I really enjoy is from Diego Fasolis and I Barocchisti on the Arts Music label. Again, Savall also has a good recording.

The Violin Concertos are very lovely - the Harmonia Mundi recording with Andrew Manze and Rachel Podger is my favorite all around, but if you don't want a HIP recording, then I really like Julia Fischer's recording on Decca.

Finally, I have really enjoyed Murray Perahia's recording of the keyboard concertos on Sony with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.

Hope that helps.

And once you have gone through those, then you'll want to buy the organ works. Pure genius.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

I love viol group Fretwork and they have a 3 disc box on harmonia mundi. Goldberg variations, Art of Fugue and other pieces. MUST HEAR


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

Bulldog said:


> I don't think there's anything lesser about the organ works. Actually, I'd go with Bach organ over his other genres.


I think one can say, that there are a number of less great (youthful) organ works, but the large bulk of great organ works are fully at the level of the greatest vocal works.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I think the 6 Brandenburg Concertos, at least 2 (2 and 3) of the 4 Suites and the various violin concertos are all essential works for even a relatively modest classical collection. The keyboard concertos (many of them the same music as the violin concertos) are also enjoyable. As for recordings of these: 
There are many fine Brandenburg sets. I especially like two early HIP sets - those by Harnoncourt and Collegium Aureum. I also like Savall's and Alessandrini's already mentioned sets. 
The suites are more difficult but Harnoncourt's 3rd suite is by far my favourite for that one and I confess a liking for the Neville Marriner recording of the 2nd suite. The sets by Freiburger Barockorchester and Sonnerie are also very worthwhile. 
For the violin concertos there are many. I love the recent CD by Ibragimova with Cohen conducting Arcangelo.


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2016)

Oooh, for fun, I nearly forgot Savall's recording of the Musikalisches Opfer (Musical Offering). Because why not?


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## JosefinaHW (Nov 21, 2015)

Apple Music Finland and Apple Music USA cannot access each other's files. To join AppleMusic from either country you have to have a credit card issued in the particular country and have a valid mailing address in that particular country. Not such a global village.


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

Thank you so much, everyone - so many recommendations, this did indeed exceed my expectations. Although some of you guys didn't comply to my specific parameters ,)

For the record, I adore Bach's vocal music, and am indeed more familiar with it. I'm less familiar with his instrumental music, and I'm usually not overly interested in solo instrument music. And I had a ghost sound in my head, a couple stringed instruments indulging in some mighty fugue (too bad Bach didn't write string quartets! That's what I had in mind, really).


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