Bach: Orchestral Suites

A disappointment

     

I buy a great deal of classical music. I am an orchestra conductor, and I am reluctant to ever criticize the work of others, since I know how difficult it is to produce a stellar performance, but I must admit that I was disappointed in this album.

In a word it is noisy.. not in terms of the recording but in internal balance and style, particularly in the brass section. Ironically, I always favor the brass, since I am a horn player, but this was an inelegant performance, to say the least. Every time the brass section appears in the selection, they overbalance everything else, with the help of a too-eager timpani player.

Perhaps we have been spoiled by the current high playing levels of trumpets in the professional arena, marked by clarity, elegance and purity of tone, but this recording was a shock to my system, particularly in the opening work. I cannot say with certainty that the brass affected my overall response, but I found myself annoyed by the string sound throughout, as well. It was glassy and brittle to my ear, and it somehow kept pushing me away from listening to it. I had the same response the third or fourth time I listened to the entire album.

The players seem to be competent, but I hope they can figure out a way to produce a better recording, perhaps in a warmer hall, or with a different mic array. Sorry, this is the first negative review I have ever given for a recording. Not a good investment, in my humble opinion.