CD 1
J.S. Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV1046
- I. No tempo indication
- II. Adagio
- III. Allegro
- IV. Menuetto-Trio I – Polacca- Trio II
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Alois Melichar
Soloist: Szymon Goldberg, Violin â Gustav Kern, oboe
Polyphon 27313 â 15, Mtx.: 691 BE8, 692 BE8, 740 BE8 – 742 BE8. Rec 1932
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV1047Â
- I. No tempo indication. Melichar gives Allegro
- II. Andante
- III. Allegro assai
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Alois Melichar
Soloists: Paul SpĂśrri, trumpet â Albert Harzer, flflute â Gustav Kern, Oboe
Szymon Goldberg, Violin â Hans Bottermund, cello
Polyphon 27293 â 94. Mtx. : 1251 BI 8 â 1254 BI8. Rec 1932
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV1048
- I. No tempo indication. Furtwängler gives Allegro con spirito
- II Allegro assai. Furtwängler gives only allegro
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Wilhelm Furtwängler
Polyphon 95417 â 18. Mtx.: 1104 BI1 â 1106 BI1. Rec 1930
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major, BWV1049
- Allegro
- II. Andante
- III. Presto
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Alois Melichar
Soloists: Heinrich Breiden and Albert Harzer, flutes
Polydor 27307 â 09. Mtx.: 699 BE8 â 703 BE8. Rec 1933
CD 2
J.S. Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV1050
- I. Allegro
- II. Affettuoso
- III. Allegro
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Alois Melichar
Soloists: Siegfried Borries, violin â Friedrich Thomas, flute – Franz Rupp, cembalo
Polydor 15073 â 76. Mtx.: 461 GS8 â 467 GS8. Rec 1934
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B flat Major, BWV1051
- I. No tempo indication. Melichar gives allegro
- II. Adagio ma non tanto
- III. Allegro
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Alois Melichar
Soloists: Reinhard Wolf and Kurt Oberländer, viola – Paul and Sylvia GrĂźmmer, viole da gamba
Wolfgang Kleber, cello â Hermann Menzel, bass â Eta Harich-Schneider, harpsichord
Polydor 15066 â 67, Mtx.: 749 GE8 â 752 GE8. Rec 1934
Bonus tracks:
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV1048
- Goosens only states Part 1 & 2
- Goosens only states Part 3
Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
Conductor: Eugene Goossens
HMV D683 â 84, Mtx.: Cc1535 â 37. Rec 1922 or 23
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV1048
- I. No tempo indication and Høeberg gives none
- II. Høeberg gives no tempo indication
- III. Høeberg gives no tempo indication
Berlin State Opera Orchestra
Conductor: Georg Høeberg
Nordisk Polyphon S 200004 â 006. Mtx.: 1629as â 1631as. Rec 1924
- Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV565 arr. Melichar
Berliner Philharmoniker
Conductor: Alois Melichar
Polyphon 15243Mtx.: 1044 GS 9 – 1045 GS9. Rec 1939
In the late romantic era there was little or no interest in Bachâs instrumental music.
But after the great upheaval which occurred in music especially in the first decade of the 20th century, there was a gradual resurgence of interest. In the years after 1920 this interest was evident with the issuing of gramophone records.
Until 1926 records were made without the use of microphones, amplifiers or other electrical equipment. It was the sound itself, captured by a large horn, which generated the energy to transmit the music or speech to the grooves. This method of recording is called acoustical as opposed to electrical, which was wholly predominant after 1926.
Considerations of space preclude an explanation of the process of recording and manufacture, even though in itself it is of great interest, so let it suffice to say that far from all types of music were suitable for acoustical recording. The human voice was in fact the best suited to this process. Partly because the considerably limited frequency range did not matter so much, because it actually covered the range which is most important for reproducing the human voice, and partly because it was easy to place the singer or speaker in a favourable position near to the horn, unlike, for example, a larger group of instruments.
But the limited frequency range meant that the characteristic sound of certain instruments was so obliterated that, for example, in the higher ranges it could be difficult to hear the difference between a violin and a flute. In general, strings were difficult to reproduce, and not until the beginning of the 1920s had recording technique become sufficiently advanced to make it possible to make acoustically recorded orchestral records of an acceptable quality.
Š Claus Byrith
RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 2024
CATALOGUE NUMBER: DACOCD 975
EAN: 5709499975008