This is the fourth volume in what will eventually become a 17-album series from keyboardist Benjamin Alard, covering Bach's keyboard music in its entirety. This volume brings Alard's aims into clearer focus. Unlike previous entries, it is exclusively devoted to Bach (except for a series of dubiously authentic chorale-based works toward the end), but it is nevertheless oriented toward musical context. Alard seems to be taking the keyboard music, both chronologically and according to national style, which makes a great deal of sense; Bach's career resulted partly, but not exclusively, in music that followed French, Italian, and German styles. As the "Alla veneziana" subtitle suggests, this release is devoted to Venetian-style music and includes Bach's organ transcriptions of Vivaldi's violin concertos, as well as solo keyboard "concertos" in the Italian style (although the famed "Italian Concerto," BWV 971, is not included). The Vivaldi transcriptions are played on a modern copy of a Hamburg pedal harpsichord; no justification for this is given, but it's hard to imagine Bach would have objected. The real highlight comes on the first disc, where Alard plays a recently restored 1702 harpsichord of Mattia De Gand, with gut strings. This instrument is a bit odd on first listen, but it soon fascinates with its sound, gentle in single-line textures and clear in big fugues. For the final disc, Alard moves to another restored instrument, a 1710 organ by André Silbermann. He plays another Vivaldi transcription as well as a series of chorale preludes (several thought to be spurious) and a highly virtuosic toccata. Alard's technique is lightly improvisatory, suggesting Bach at the keyboard but not departing radically from stylistic norms. One awaits further installments in the series and hopes for fresh touches similar to those found here.h
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FILE LIST
Filename
Size
01. Concerto in G Major, BWV 973 I. [no indication].flac
51.3 MB
02. Concerto in G Major, BWV 973 II. Largo.flac
42.6 MB
03. Concerto in G Major, BWV 973 III. Allegro.flac
57 MB
04. Concerto in G Minor, BWV 975 I. [no indication].flac
72.6 MB
05. Concerto in G Minor, BWV 975 II. Largo.flac
68.7 MB
06. Concerto in G Minor, BWV 975 III. Giga Presto.flac
49.2 MB
07. Concerto in B Minor, BWV 979 I. Allegro.flac
29.9 MB
08. Concerto in B Minor, BWV 979 II. Adagio.flac
15 MB
09. Concerto in B Minor, BWV 979 III. Allegro.flac
77.2 MB
10. Concerto in B Minor, BWV 979 IV. Andante.flac
26.5 MB
11. Concerto in B Minor, BWV 979 V. Adagio.flac
17.1 MB
12. Concerto in B Minor, BWV 979 VI. Allegro.flac
86.8 MB
13. Concerto in D Major, BWV 972 I. [no indication].flac
49.1 MB
14. Concerto in D Major, BWV 972 II. Larghetto.flac
66.7 MB
15. Concerto in D Major, BWV 972 III. Allegro.flac
52.8 MB
16. Fantasia and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 944.flac
183 MB
17. Concerto in D Minor, BWV 974 I. [no indication].flac
71.5 MB
18. Concerto in D Minor, BWV 974 II. Adagio.flac
74.6 MB
19. Concerto in D Minor, BWV 974 III. Presto.flac
89.4 MB
20. Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 894 I. Prelude.flac
135.4 MB
21. Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 894 II. Fugue.flac
108.3 MB
22. Concerto in G Major, BWV 980 I. [no indication].flac
93.2 MB
23. Concerto in G Major, BWV 980 II. Largo.flac
64.4 MB
24. Concerto in G Major, BWV 980 III. Allegro.flac
95.4 MB
25. Organ Concerto in A Minor, BWV 593 I. [Allegro].flac
90.2 MB
26. Organ Concerto in A Minor, BWV 593 II. Adagio.flac
79.1 MB
27. Organ Concerto in A Minor, BWV 593 III. Allegro.flac
90 MB
28. Concerto in F Major, BWV 978 I. Allegro.flac
57.3 MB
29. Concerto in F Major, BWV 978 II. Largo.flac
34.1 MB
30. Concerto in F Major, BWV 978 III. Allegro.flac
62.4 MB
31. Organ Concerto in D Minor, BWV 596 I. [Allegro].flac
22 MB
32. Organ Concerto in D Minor, BWV 596 II. Grave.flac
7.1 MB
33. Organ Concerto in D Minor, BWV 596 III. Fuga.flac
75.4 MB
34. Organ Concerto in D Minor, BWV 596 IV. Largo e spiccato.flac
57.8 MB
35. Organ Concerto in D Minor, BWV 596 V. [no indication].flac
73.7 MB
36. Concerto in C Major, BWV 976 I. [no indication].flac
97 MB
37. Concerto in C Major, BWV 976 II. Largo.flac
65.9 MB
38. Concerto in C Major, BWV 976 III. Allegro.flac
76.4 MB
39. Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 535.flac
163.2 MB
40. Organ Concerto in G Major, BWV 592 I. [Adagio].flac
76.5 MB
41. Organ Concerto in G Major, BWV 592 II. Grave.flac
45.2 MB
42. Organ Concerto in G Major, BWV 592 III. Presto.flac
46.8 MB
43. Fantasie and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 5422 (excerpt) II. Fugue.flac
146.4 MB
44. Organ Concerto in C Major, BWV 594 I. [Allegro].flac
135.8 MB
45. Organ Concerto in C Major, BWV 594 II. Recitativ. Adagio.flac
66.3 MB
46. Organ Concerto in C Major, BWV 594 III. Allegro.flac
164.8 MB
47. Wo soll ich fliehen hin, BWV 694.flac
64.5 MB
48. Trio for organ in D Minor, BWV 583.flac
93.2 MB
49. Valet will ich dir geben, BWV 736.flac
83.4 MB
50. Trio super Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, BWV 664.flac
104.8 MB
51. Wir glauben all an einen Gott BWV-Anh. 69.flac
61.4 MB
52. Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her BWV-Anh. 65.flac
24.9 MB
53. Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele BWV-Anh. 52.flac