Freiburger Barockorchester – Bach: Orchestral Suites (2011) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Freiburger Barockorchester – Bach: Orchestral Suites (2011)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:33:39 minutes | 953 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © harmonia mundi

Called ‘Ouvertüren’ in Germany, because they began with a large-scale overture à la française, Bach’s Suites for orchestra offer a unique synthesis of the French and the Italian styles. The Leipzig Cantor did not content himself with a mere set of amiable dances for his ‘Collegium Musicum’: he revived the genre in his own manner, accenting the contrasts, refining the orchestration, and introducing a hitherto unknown contrapuntal element. Two centuries later these admirable orchestral works continue to represent an indispensable treasure of the Baroque.

To appreciate J.S. Bach’s four Orchestral Suites in authentic style on period instruments, one need only turn to the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra for a truly exquisite historical recreation. This double-disc package from Harmonia Mundi offers the scintillating tone colors, lively rhythms, and spontaneous ornamentation that historically informed performances yield, and Bach’s music is played with the enthusiasm and expertise that the best early music specialists can provide. Add to this the musicians’ extraordinary presence, the spacious and resonant recording space, and audio reproduction that is the best that can be found on standard CDs, and the knowledgeable listener will be quick to snap up this album. The suites — called Ouvertüren in Germany because each opens with a French overture — have varied characters, marked by their different keys and instrumentation, and they are equally as popular as the composer’s famed Brandenburg Concertos; listeners who are familiar with those works will find the suites similarly appealing. In terms of performance, the chamber-sized Freiburg Baroque Orchestra plays with exceptional unity and accuracy, and the group sounds like a gathering of world-class soloists, so personally and distinctively are the parts expressed. There may be recordings of the suites by other period ensembles that match this one for excellence, but it’s unlikely that any surpass it. –AllMusic Review by Blair Sanderson

Tracklist:

01. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 4 in D Major, BWV 1069 – I. Ouverture (11:26)
02. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 4 in D Major, BWV 1069 – II. Bourrées I & II (02:50)
03. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 4 in D Major, BWV 1069 – III. Gavotte (01:55)
04. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 4 in D Major, BWV 1069 – IV. Menuets I & II alternativement (04:14)
05. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 4 in D Major, BWV 1069 – V. Réjouissance (02:34)
06. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067 – I. Ouverture (10:41)
07. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067 – II. Rondeau (01:28)
08. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067 – III. Sarabande (02:36)
09. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067 – IV. Bourrées I & II alternativement (02:04)
10. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067 – V. Polonaise & Double (03:17)
11. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067 – VI. Menuet (01:05)
12. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067 – VII. Badinerie (01:23)
13. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 1 in C Major, BWV 1066 – I. Ouverture (09:17)
14. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 1 in C Major, BWV 1066 – II. Courante (02:18)
15. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 1 in C Major, BWV 1066 – III. Gavottes I & II alternativement (03:13)
16. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 1 in C Major, BWV 1066 – IV. Forlane (01:13)
17. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 1 in C Major, BWV 1066 – V. Menuets I & II alternativement (03:15)
18. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 1 in C Major, BWV 1066 – VI. Bourrées I & II alternativement (02:42)
19. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 1 in C Major, BWV 1066 – VII. Passepieds I & II (03:31)
20. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068 – I. Ouverture (09:49)
21. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068 – II. Air (04:37)
22. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068 – III. Gavottes I & II alternativement (04:00)
23. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068 – IV. Bourrée (01:10)
24. Freiburger Barockorchester – Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068 – V. Gigue (02:47)

Download: