Bach Brandenburg Concertos 1-6

Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concertos 1-6. Claudio Abbado conducts the Orchestra Mozart. This was recorded 2007, using some period instruments, at the splendid Teatro Municipale Romolo Valli in Reggio Emilia. Released 2008,  disc has  5.1 PCM sound. Grade: B+

If you have the slightest interest in instrumental music, you will be thrilled by the music on this disc. A combination of seasoned veterans and beautiful young protégés go after these 6 concertos like foxes after a hare. And seeing this performance of these (so often-heard) pieces was a revelation. I had no idea how small the forces were that Bach had or how different the ensembles were for each number. Yes, I heard about it, but I didn't get it: these were like jam sessions for Bach, and he wrote a masterpiece for whomever showed up!

This sound quality of this recording equals or exceeds any earlier recordings I have or remember hearing of these concertos. But it does seem to me that the keyboards were overpowered by the rest of the instruments, and I wonder if that could have been corrected by a different setting on the mixing board boosting the harpsichord. Also, as good as this record it is, it could have been made better by recording with 96kHz/24 bit sound sampling.

The picture quality is excellent. There is no glare on the sheet music or reflections from the instruments, resolution is fine, colors are brilliant and natural, and there are no motion artifacts even though the musicians, many of them standing, move around a lot. I did see a few focus and field of focus issues, however.

The main criticism I have is of the picture content, which suffers from what I will call "hyperactivity." We have published on this website standards for picture content for a HDVD recording by a symphony orchestra. Here we have a small chamber outfit rather than a symphony. But the basic principle still applies: the TV director should let us see the entire band (small or large) as the starting point. He should move in closer only when there is good reason. Also, this is not a time for, "Hey, mom, look what I can do!" The TV director should avoid too many cuts and short segments which tend to distract rather than satisfy the viewer.

The forces used in each of these concertos are quite small. One could make a satisfying video of each of them with 2 or three basic midrange shots and perhaps fewer than a dozen or so cuts. Then  the spectator could savor each angle for a long time and seek out what seems most interesting to him. In addition, I would welcome close ups of the major soloists and of groups of instruments playing a section. But I don't think it's necessary to show the players from every possible angle (even from the side or behind) just because you can. The viewers don't need to see shots of instruments with fingers or views panning through the players and the like. The TV director should not try to be an entertainer himself---he should be  unobtrusive.

I compliment Andreas Naumann for not cutting 100 times to the conductor in this record. I agree that this is a nice video with a wealth of great shots. I also suggest that reducing the number of angles by maybe 50%  would solve the hyperactivity problem maybe double the beauty of material that would remain.

Now to a grade. This performance and  the PQ could support an "A+." But for lack of 96kHz/24 bit sound sampling, the harpsichord I can't hear,  and hyperactive picture content, I reduce the grade to "B+."