Rachel Podger, Brecon Baroque - Bach Double & Triple Concertos
7 May 2013, 15:15 | Updated: 7 May 2013, 17:16
Experience Rachel Podger's unique brand of Baroque music as she tackles Bach's Double and Triple violin concertos with the Brecon Baroque ensemble. John Suchet's Album of the Week, 6 May 2013.
An expert in the field of Baroque violin, Rachel Podger is back from the studio with another Bach album. This time, accompanied by the Brecon Baroque ensemble, she's focusing on some of Bach's double and triple concertos - BWV 1043 for Two Violins, BWV 1044 for Harpsichord, Flute and Violin, BWV for Violin and Oboe, and the Concerto for Three Violins, BWV 1064.
The small ensemble's mellow sound lends itself well to Bach's well-known Double Concerto, whether they're tackling the sweetness of the Largo, or the frenzied Allegro. But it's not just the Baroque violins that give the album a brilliantly unique sound - the historic oboe, played by Alexandra Bellamy, sounds impressively weighty and adds another dimension to the concertos.
The delicate Adagio in the Harpsichord, Flute and Violin Concerto is an unusual highlight, thanks to the beautifully eerie duet between the right hand of the harpsichord and the understated sound of the Baroque flute, accompanied by plucking from the violins.
It's living, breathing Bach at its best, warm and exciting at every turn.
