J S Bach: Piano Concertos BWV 1052, 1054, 1056, 1058 & 1065
Pianist Alexandre Tharaud follows his amazing album of Scarlatti sonatas with this new collection of Bach keyboard concertos. He is supported by the dynamic period-instrument ensemble “Les Violons du Roy”, under its director Bernard Labadie. The program comprises four concertos for solo keyboard (1052, 1054, 1056, 1058) and also the concerto for four pianos, BWV 1065, in which – thanks to electronic technology – Tharaud plays all four solo parts.
The tracks on this CD are:
Bach, J S:
- Keyboard Concerto No. 1 in D minor, BWV1052
- Keyboard Concerto No. 3 in D major, BWV1054
- Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in F minor, BWV1056
- Keyboard Concerto No. 7 in G minor, BWV1058
- Concerto for Four Keyboards in A minor (after Vivaldi), BWV1065
Performed by Alexandre Tharaud, piano
With the accompanying ensemble “Les Violins du Roy”, conducted by Bernard Labadie
Bach was born in the same year as Domenico Scarlatti, the subject of Alexandre Tharaud’s last Virgin Classics album. The French magazine Classica wrote of the Scarlatti collection:
“Tharaud breaks with received ideas of Baroque repertoire and its interpretation … Wonderfully inspired in variety of touch, tonal precision, ornamentation and resonance. His concerns are not musicological … Above all he aspires to natural phrasing and a balance in the rhythms … His imperious virtuosity is never teasing or mannered … What matters to him is the evocation of colours, simplicity and sensuality. This is a disc to put you on cloud nine.”
The Telegraph, on 8th September, 2011 wrote the following about this recording:
“On this disc the combination of the lean “period” sound of “Les Violons du Roy” and the clear, crisply articulated and sensitively graduated piano playing of Alexandre Tharaud gives a fresh profile to these Bach keyboard concertos…[in the Concerto for Four Keyboards] which the elegance and agility of Tharaud’s ornamentation really come into their own.”
Here is Alexandre Tharaud in J.S. Bach Piano Concerto BWV 1052
And here is Mr. Theraud in Bach BWV 596, Siciliana
And finally, here’s Mr. Tharaud, talking about the music of Scarlatti:
Tags: Alexandre Tharaud, pianist, Bach, Scarlatti