Bach rocks
Ever since hearing a live performance of it this spring, I've been looking for a good recording of the sinfonia from J. S. Bach's Cantata 146, Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen. Most of the recordings I found were only available as part of a set or portion thereof, like Harnoncourt's recording. About a month ago I did manage to find a relatively obscure recording by Joan Lippincott and the Princeton University Chapel Camerata that gets the tempo and excitement of this fun piece just right.
Unfortunately, the recording is pretty average and completely lacking in bass, so the piece comes out sounding flat and one-dimensional, which it most definitely is not. Liner note: "The opening Allegro, an ambitious ritornello form of 190 measures, displays extensive solo episodes for the organ including violin figures (double-stop and bariolage passages) that do not fall easily under finger." And how! At the live performance I attended I was sitting maybe four feet behind the organist with a full view of the console (and pedals). The organist himself was totally rocking out, appropriately enough.
Posted by ned at October 16, 2002 11:59 AM