The complete set of twelve Bach Players’ CDs on Hyphen Press Music can be bought for a reduced price of £50 (bought singly they will cost £65). Designed to form a series, and in distinctive card packets, they occupy less space and are noticeably lighter in weight than a row of conventionally plastic-boxed CDs. (The two later Bach Players CDs, of music by Jacquet de La Guerre and Clérambault, are not part of this set.)
The series was started with the wish to record a group that had not previously made recordings, and to make ‘programme CDs’. With this term we mean: collections of works that have been played in single concerts, with a coherence and sequence appropriate to listeners – rather than sets of pieces by one composer, as is so often still the case in classical music recordings. Each CD can be listened to, from start to finish, as a coherent and enjoyable sequence. (This is also one of the reasons to resist making the tracks available to streaming websites: the coherence of the programme is destroyed.) At the same time, there was never any thought of making live concert CDs – often now the cheap and easy way out for classical music producers. Rather, the art of recording was taken seriously, with good rehearsal time, proper payment to musicians, and attention given to achieving unforced, generous acoustic qualities.
As the Bach Players’ concerts proceded over the last few years, one CD followed the other, as a natural extension to a concert. When we reached 12, that seemed a good number on which to close. Two of the 12 are double CDs, which means that there are 14 CDs in all. The composer whose name the group borrowed should approve: this was his number (BACH = 2+1+3+8).
In retrospect, these CDs recordings seem to make a good conspectus of Baroque music. They are distinctive in their focus on the national cross-currents, and in showing how the greatest music always belongs in specific contexts.
001: Bach arranging and arranged
002: Every one a chaconne
003: Nun komm!
004: Italy versus France
005: Pachelbel and Bach
006: Bach’s library
007: An Italian in Paris
008: Bach and his rivals
009: Venice to Hamburg
010: Sleepers awake!
011: Musical offering
012: Bach and before
The music
Johann Bernhard Bach (1676–1749)
Ouverture no. 2 in G major, 006
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Cantata ‘Christ lag in Todesbanden’, BWV 4, 005:1
Cantata ‘Die Elenden sollen essen’, BWV 75, 012
Cantata ‘In allen meinen Taten’, BWV 97, 003
Cantata ‘Jesu, der du meine Seele’, BWV 78, 002
Cantata ‘Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe’, BWV 22, 008:1
Cantata ‘Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen’, BWV 81, 008:2
Cantata ‘Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich’, BWV 150, 002
Cantata ‘Nun komm der heiden Heiland’, BWV 61, 003
Cantata ‘Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme’, BWV 140, 010
Cantata ‘Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan’, BWV 99, 005:2
Cantata ‘Widerstehe doch der Sünde’, BWV 54, 005:1
Goldberg Variations, BWV 1087: Canons (arranged by Silas Wollston for The Bach Players), 005:2
‘Musikalisches Opfer’, BWV 1079 (with the Canons arranged by Silas Wollston for The Bach Players), 011
Ouverture no. 2 in B minor (BWV 1067), 006
Fugues from the Well-tempered Clavier II, arranged for string quartet by W.A. Mozart, K 405, c. 1782: No. 1 in C minor [BWV 871], No. 5 in D major [BWV 874], No. 2 in E flat major [BWV 876], No. 4 in D minor [BWV 877], No. 3 in E major [BWV 878], 001
Fugues from the Well-tempered Clavier II, arranged for string quartet: A minor [G minor, BWV 8201;885] + , G major [A flat major, BWV 8201;886] + , C minor [B flat minor, BWV 891] ^ , C major [B major, BWV 892] + (+ arranged by Rodolfo Richter for The Bach Players, ^ arranged by W.A. Mozart, completed by Abbé M. Stadler), 001
see also: Pergolesi
Angelo Michele Bartolotti (fl. 1640–80)
Chaconne in C major, 007
Philipp Friedrich Böddecker (1607–83)
Sonata sopra ‘La Monica’ in G minor for dulcian, violin, and basso continuo, 009
Dieterich Buxtehude (c.1637 – 1707)
Cantata ‘Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme’, BuxWV 100, 010
Cantata ‘Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme’, BuxWV 101, 010
Ciaccona aria ‘Quemadmodum desiderat cervus’ for tenor, two violins, and basso continuo, BuxWV 92, 010
Trio sonata in C major for two violins, viola da gamba, and basso continuo, BuxWV 266, 010
Cantata ‘Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme’, BuxWV 100, 010
Sonata no. 6 in D minor for violin, viola da gamba, and basso continuo, BuxWV 257, 011
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643–1704)
Sonata in C major for eight instruments, 007
Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676–1749)
Chaconne in D major, 007
Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713)
Trio sonata, op. 2, no. 12, 004
François Couperin (1668–1733)
Apothéose de Corelli: Grande sonade en trio, 004
La Pucelle, 007
Jean Henry d’Anglebert (1629–91)
Tombeau de M. de Chambonniîres, 004
Robert de Visée (c.1655 – c.1733)
Prélude and musette, 004
Charles Dieupart (c.1667–c.1740)
Suite no. 6 in F minor, 006
François Duval (1672–1728)
Suite in G major, 007
Philipp Heinrich Erlebach (1657–1714)
Ouverture V, 002
Ouverture VI, 003
Johann Jakob Froberger (1616–67)
Toccata no. 2 in D minor for harpsichord, 009
Christoph Graupner (1683–1760 )
Cantata ‘Aus der Tiefen rufen wir’, GWV 1113/23a, 008:1
Cantata ‘Gott führt die seinen wunderbar’, GWV 1115/24, 008:2
Ouverture in C minor, GWV 413, 008:2
Christian Hollander (c. 1510 – 1589)
‘Innsbruck ich muß dich lassen’ (setting), 003
Heinrich Isaac (c. 1450 – 1517)
‘Innsbruck ich muß dich lassen’, 003
Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665–1729)
Sonata no. 4 in C minor, 007
Johann Kuhnau (1660–1720)
Cantata ‘Was Gott tut das ist wohlgetan’, 012
Paul Luetkeman (c. 1560 – c. 1611)
‘Innsbruck ich muß dich lassen’ (setting), 003
Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632–87)
Ouverture and chaconne from Le bourgeois gentilhomme, 004
Jean-Baptiste Lully (attr.)
Chaconne in C major, 007
Marin Marais (1656–1728)
Prélude in E minor, 007
Symphonies de l’opéra d’ Alcide mises sur le clavecin par un très habile homme, 006
Biagio Marini (1594–1663)
‘La Rizza’, canzone à 4 in D minor, 009
Georg Muffat (1653–1704)
Armonico tributo: Sonata II in G minor, 004
‘Blanditiae’ from Florilegium secundum in E minor, 004
Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706)
Canon in D major, 005:1
Cantata ‘Christ lag in Todesbanden’, 005:1
Cantata ‘Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan’, 005:2
Partie à 5 in G major, 005:2
Sacred concerto ‘Christ ist erstanden’, 005:2
Sacred concerto ‘Mein Fleisch’, 005:1
Bernardo Pasquini (1637–1710)
Toccata in A minor, 004
G.B. Pergolesi (1710–36)
Stabat Mater in F minor, arranged by J.S. Bach on the text of Psalm 51: ‘Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden’, BWV 1083, 001
Henry Purcell (1659–95)
Chacony, 002
Jean-Féry Rebel (1666–1747)
Tombeau de M. de Lully, 004
Violin sonata in E minor no. 4, 007
Johann Hermann Schein (1586–1630)
‘Banchetto musicale’, no. 20 in E minor, 012
Geistliches Konzert ‘Nun komm der Heiden Heiland’, 012
Johann Schelle (1648–1701)
Canon on ‘Nun komm der Heiden Heiland’, 012
Cantata ‘Aus der Tiefen’, 012
Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (c. 1620–80)
‘La Cariolatta’, sonata à 4 in G major, 009
Sonata no. 3 in G minor for violin and basso continuo, 009
Agostino Steffani (1654–1728)
Ouverture ‘La Tempête’, 006
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767)
Ouverture in F sharp minor, TWV 55: fis 1, 008:1
Cantata ‘Wer sich rachet’, TWV 1: 1600, 008:1
Cantata ‘Laß vom Bösen und tue Gutes’, TWV 1:1038, 008:2
Giovanni Valentini (1582–1649)
Canzon in D minor for cornetto, sackbut, and basso continuo, 009
Sonata à 4 in G minor, 009
Matthias Weckmann (c. 1620–74)
Sonata no. 3 à 4 in C major, 009
Sonata no. 9 à 4 in D minor, 009
Toccata in E minor for harpsichord, 009
The musicians
Piroska Baranyay (cello), 005
Sophie Barber (violin), 001, 003
Rachel Beckett (flute / recorder), 007, 008
Karin Bjork (viola), 005
Samuel Boden (tenor), 005, 010
Valerie Botwright (double bass), 005
Elizabeth Bradley (double bass), 001, 002, 003
Matthew Brook (bass), 002, 005, 008
Sally Bruce-Payne (alto), 001, 003, 005, 008, 010, 012
Luise Buchberger (cello), 012
William Carter (guitar), 003
Anna Curzon (violin), 012
Huw Daniel (violin), 001
Robert Davies (bass), 012
Richard Earle (taille), 010
James Eastaway (oboe), 002, 003, 005, 008, 010, 012
Rachel Elliott (soprano), 001, 002, 003, 005, 008, 010, 012
Kinga Gáborjáni (cello / basse de violon / viola da gamba), 004, 007, 008
James Gilchrist (tenor), 005
Gawain Glenton (cornetto / cornettino), 009
Jonathan Gunthorpe (bass), 003, 010
Peter Harvey (bass), 003
Thomas Hobbs* (tenor), 012
Reiko Ichise (viola da gamba), 007, 010, 011
Rachel Isserlis (violin / viola / violetta), 003, 004, 005, 006
Foskien Kooistra (viola), 004
Catherine Latham (oboe / recorder), 002, 003, 008
Krzysztof Lewandowski (dulcian), 009
Jakob Lindberg (theorbo), 004
Alison McGillivray (cello), 001, 002, 003, 005
Jonathan Manson (cello / viola da gamba), 006
Alastair Mitchell (bassoon), 002, 003, 005, 008, 010, 012
Nicolette Moonen (violin / piccolo violin & director), 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009, 010, 011, 012
Marion Moonen (flute), 002, 005, 006, 007, 011
Nicholas Mulroy (tenor), 002, 003
Stephen Pedder (violin), 005, 008
Mark Radcliffe (oboe), 010, 012
Olaf Reimers (cello), 008, 010
Rodolfo Richter (violin), 001, 002
Lynda Sayce (theorbo), 006, 007, 009
Anne Schumann (viola), 001, 002, 008, 010
Anneke Scott (horn), 010
Pawel Siwczak (organ / harpsichord), 001, 008, 010
Rachel Stott (viola), 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 008, 012
Philip Turbett (bassoon), 003
Simon Wall (tenor), 008
Oliver Webber (violin), 007, 010
Catherine Weiss (violin), 010
Emily White (sackbut), 009
Clare Wilkinson (alto), 002
Oliver Wilson (viola), 012
Silas Wollston (organ / harpsichord), 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 009, 011, 012
Adrian Woodward (trumpet), 012
Reviews
With its thoughtfully imaginative programming, the high quality of its performances, and its distinctive packaging, Hyphen Press is making its mark in the heavily populated world of early 21st-century baroque recordings.
Nicholas Anderson, Early Music Today, December 2014 – February 2015
The Bach Players, possessors of a nourishing discography not sufficiently known in this part of the world
Mariano Acero Ruilópez, Scherzo [Madrid], April 2018
These and other principles are applied with great sensitivity for the specifically Protestant spirituality, which is impregnated with humility and conviction. With the single exception of Andrew Parrott’s Taverner Consort, there is no British ensemble that has succeeded so well as The Bach Players in transmitting all this in recordings.
Matthias Hengelbrock, Bach Magazin [Leipzig], spring/summer 2018