Just for your info: the fabulous 1st violist Herbert Blendinger (left), who soon will be celebrating his 75th anniversary, is suffering from several strokes for 20+ years and had to abbandon playing completely. He then concentrated more on composing - and is a reknowned composer on his own. This fine recording must be already from the 70ties.
It sounds like Bach is speaking in some universal mysterious voice on behalf of the harmonious atoms, or melodious galaxies, in this sublime concerto, far from the short sighted manipulations of ignorant mankind.
This is a marvellous performance, and I concur with all the previous comments: the excellent playing and sound mixing really let you hear every single line with great clarity. If only this performance were on CD!
IMHO, nobody could write a fugue like bach. regardless of the instruments, the ensemble, the occasion...regardless. Bach was the all-time master of the fugue...
I prefer Richter and his orchestra without hesitation when it comes to Baroque music because I think that their interpretations are the most authantic versions of Brandenburgs to which I've ever listened. Might a bit interesting to say, but I'm gonna go ahead and say it anyway, it feels right(maybe because this is how the piece meant to be played) when I listen to the music of the Baroque period from Ricter's orchestra.
the first viola player unfortunately died in 2020 in May. the Second viola player died in the 1995 and the cellist was a founding member of the “12 cellists of the berlin philharmonic” and died in 2003. As for Richter (conductor/harpsichord player... he unfortunately died in 1981 at the young age of 55.
They are performers who express the aesthetics of Bach who transcends and surpass the times and the human race . They are performers who give the spiritual moisture for us . From Tokyo of the Land of the Rising Sun 🇯🇵 Which national are you watching this video ？
I might be slightly biased because JS Bach is my "religion", and, I am a viola player, so this piece has a special place in my heart. As for the performance, it is wonderful, although IMHO when you can hear him alone, cellist's intonation isn't great, and the harpsichordist may as well not be playing a lot of the time - he cannot be heard. I can't really hear the individual gamba players. Bach was true to the viola; he wrote this piece in the middle range rather than making the violas play in violin range, which many composers do. It is up to the rest of the ensemble to play quietly so that the violas can be heard in that middle range. In the slow movement, you can hear the violas a lot better, and even the harpsichord.
Karl Richter had his own ideas on how to play Bach and errors. This still remains my favourite execution ever, and I lost the count of how many I compared. The whole Brandenburg concerts played by them are still my favourite, with their errors included. They put Bach alive again, sorry we lost Richter as well, I think he's been a genious like Bach was.
These gamba players are clearly not actual gamba players. They're cellists with no apparent experience playing the gamba. They have the wrong bow hold and whenever they can be heard (not often) it sounds really bad, as if a high school cello player was trying to play in the high ranges of the cello.
These guys are really built to play viola. Nice and tall and with giant heads and jaws, large hands. The opposite of me in every way. My daughter's hands were bigger than mine when she was in third grade. She has those lovely "tapering" fingers, one whole knuckle length longer than mine. Yet I persist in playing viola. The only complaint I have about this performance is it could have a tiny bit more "bite". String instruments are also percussion instruments. the intonation and phrasing are just beautiful. But it's a bit "smooth" for me. Maybe less legato, more Martele. The base and celli are doing their eighth notes using a detached slur - could be more detached, even some separate bows. Oh well, hard to mess up Bach, but he didn't specify anything.
0:31 It's almost like the two viola players are dancing. Having them side by side, imitating each other's movement "in canon" is something that's missing from some of the other performances.
@bckm54 and I don't remember which bowings are correct...it's been over 40 years since i've played it (both lead viola parts...obviously not simultaneously...:) )
@yinhexi You are so right! If I'd done some research I could have found that out. Wikipedia lists the contents, and apparently the first movement of the 2nd Brandenburg (Richter) and the Prelude and Fugue in C Major from Book 2 of the Well-Tempered Clavier (Gould) were the only Bach pieces included. Wouldn't have been my first choice, but with Bach that's only a minor issue since its all so great...
They violists play long, syrupy legato lines, contrary the phrasing in Baroque performance practice, and the harpsichord sounds like one of those horrible Pleyel "harpsichords" from the 60s. Fortunately, Bach as performed by the likes of Richter are thing of the past.
Adamwoth, there already have been many Bachs..like..Chopan..and Earl Scruggs... each knew their instruments and how to compose to them. Bachs' kids produced very bland music..don't listen to it. There are more wonders of the art of making music for snobs to find.
yeah. thick, sustained, shitloads of vibrato and a bosendorfer of a harpsichord. really "timeless'" and sensitive. Who needs to hear the gamba parts anyways? The only thing that could have made this anymore "perfect" would be the addition of a theramin to the continuo group.
Fantastico stupefacente l'armonia e il ritmo si fondono diventando essenza di un altro dove
Easily my favorite performance. Great tempo and absolute brilliance. Favorited for life
yes, i like so much richter's tempos for the branderburgers too
At this level of musicianship there is no superior or inferior. There is only personal preference...
These guys are incredible, and this is the most sublime piece of Bach I've ever heard.
il 1° movimento è uno dei capolavori assoluti della musica "da camera". geniale!!
love the perfect timing! Makes the music timeless!
Just for your info:
the fabulous 1st violist Herbert Blendinger (left), who soon will be celebrating his 75th anniversary, is suffering from several strokes for 20+ years and had to abbandon playing completely. He then concentrated more on composing - and is a reknowned composer on his own. This fine recording must be already from the 70ties.
Is this not a viola?
I love ❤️ Karl Richter. My favorite conductor. He was handsome also 😍
Todos volvemos a lo uno. Todos volvemos a Bach.
That's the thing with Bach that always attracted me is his impeccable timing
It sounds like Bach is speaking in some universal mysterious voice on behalf of the harmonious atoms, or melodious galaxies, in this sublime concerto, far from the short sighted manipulations of ignorant mankind.
Merci quelle magnifique cohésion généreuse!
The second movement is one of the most beautiful pieces ever written.
The whole concerto is
This is a marvellous performance, and I concur with all the previous comments: the excellent playing and sound mixing really let you hear every single line with great clarity. If only this performance were on CD!
I give credit to the acoustics in that room.
sublime and timeless.
Fantastic melodies,very sharp harmonies,arrow like tempo.Thats why I love Bach.
IMHO, nobody could write a fugue like bach. regardless of the instruments, the ensemble, the occasion...regardless. Bach was the all-time master of the fugue...
Ya think? He wrote Art of the Fugue before Trump wrote Art of the Deal
I think the reason they play so well is partly the inspirations they get from those baroque paintings in back of them.
Tremendous good performance!
Beautiful music. Beautiful setting. Fantastic artists. Thanks
Just heavenly..
Just how Bach is meant to be played.
Reinhardt Goebel: “ha! Hold my beer!”
Don't think so, at all!
Richter had Bach in his blood: Bach was God and Richter came to Earth make him known.... The best version BY FAR ever....
Beautiful!
Their wonderful performances are felt the scent of Bach’s aesthetics and genius
I love this piece.
This is one of the few compositions that makes me think of the word "majesty". But not in the sense of vanity and greed, but something more spiritual
bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam
WFC
?
that's why I like it
The harpsichord is playing both the melody of the violas along with sometimes the chords with both hands in octaves
Wait till you Listen to the Nice's Country pie!
I prefer Richter and his orchestra without hesitation when it comes to Baroque music because I think that their interpretations are the most authantic versions of Brandenburgs to which I've ever listened. Might a bit interesting to say, but I'm gonna go ahead and say it anyway, it feels right(maybe because this is how the piece meant to be played) when I listen to the music of the Baroque period from Ricter's orchestra.
Superb!
Sublime...excelente !!!
actually, it's my favorite version.
BELLISSIMO, ANCORA
At some point the filming and especially the film editing must be credited. Wonderful work!
BACH = BACH
Difficult to contradict this equation...
Magnífico!
the first viola player unfortunately died in 2020 in May. the Second viola player died in the 1995 and the cellist was a founding member of the “12 cellists of the berlin philharmonic” and died in 2003. As for Richter (conductor/harpsichord player... he unfortunately died in 1981 at the young age of 55.
Do you have the name of the second viola player?
@@emilydelreal9657 Ingo Sinnhoffer is the second viola player.
As this performance was in the late 1960's most if not all the players are probably deceased.
Grazie per queste informazioni, è da tenere presente che il DVD di queste meravigliose registrazioni reca la data 1970.
They are performers who express the aesthetics of Bach who transcends and surpass the times and the human race .
They are performers who give the spiritual moisture for us .
From
Tokyo of the Land of the Rising Sun 🇯🇵
Which national are you watching this video ？
Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con usted.
I might be slightly biased because JS Bach is my "religion", and, I am a viola player, so this piece has a special place in my heart. As for the performance, it is wonderful, although IMHO when you can hear him alone, cellist's intonation isn't great, and the harpsichordist may as well not be playing a lot of the time - he cannot be heard. I can't really hear the individual gamba players. Bach was true to the viola; he wrote this piece in the middle range rather than making the violas play in violin range, which many composers do. It is up to the rest of the ensemble to play quietly so that the violas can be heard in that middle range. In the slow movement, you can hear the violas a lot better, and even the harpsichord.
Thank you for your technical explanation
Karl Richter had his own ideas on how to play Bach and errors. This still remains my favourite execution ever, and I lost the count of how many I compared. The whole Brandenburg concerts played by them are still my favourite, with their errors included. They put Bach alive again, sorry we lost Richter as well, I think he's been a genious like Bach was.
These gamba players are clearly not actual gamba players. They're cellists with no apparent experience playing the gamba. They have the wrong bow hold and whenever they can be heard (not often) it sounds really bad, as if a high school cello player was trying to play in the high ranges of the cello.
Wonderful
I'm learning a lot from the comments on this page. thanks everyone for the level of discourse here.
the bowings are interesting compared to other videos i've see, particularly with the violone/bass and gambas...
That harpsichord has so many sound variations
These guys are really built to play viola. Nice and tall and with giant heads and jaws, large hands. The opposite of me in every way. My daughter's hands were bigger than mine when she was in third grade. She has those lovely "tapering" fingers, one whole knuckle length longer than mine. Yet I persist in playing viola.
The only complaint I have about this performance is it could have a tiny bit more "bite". String instruments are also percussion instruments. the intonation and phrasing are just beautiful. But it's a bit "smooth" for me. Maybe less legato, more Martele. The base and celli are doing their eighth notes using a detached slur - could be more detached, even some separate bows. Oh well, hard to mess up Bach, but he didn't specify anything.
Well done.Thank you.
smalin makes a great version of this piece on his channel. you've probably seen it; it's the one with all the visualized versions of classical music.
I love this cello parts.
0:31 It's almost like the two viola players are dancing. Having them side by side, imitating each other's movement "in canon" is something that's missing from some of the other performances.
Pra mim é a coisa mais bonita que já ouvi.
played this before. its intense.
So good to hear really passionate playing instead of the usual emaciated sounds from the stone age brigade!
This is arguably a concerto for 2 violas :)
Bamm-bamm-bamm-bamm ...
3:00 an obvious point of mismatch between the audio and the video (Richter playing an inaudible harpsichord)
The acoustics are just right in that room, not so much reverb as a typical empty hall.
4:41 As crianças se divertem ...genial
This wil be the last music my ears will hear,before I die.
What is your hurry?Stay ,live and enjoy!
@bckm54 and I don't remember which bowings are correct...it's been over 40 years since i've played it (both lead viola parts...obviously not simultaneously...:) )
I care naught about anything except the marvel I feel while I listen.
richter=bach
bach=richter!
リヒターの演奏、指揮が
バッハを一番表現してると
思います。
Why that viol players were using an overhand bow?
Because their main instrument is probably the cello, and the players are playing viols to fill in the parts.
The overhand bowings of the 'viol' players is the most correct bowing technique I have ever seen, blue F
Wha was the cellist?
Peter Steiner
Is this the version sent up with Voyager on the Golden Record?
@yinhexi You are so right! If I'd done some research I could have found that out. Wikipedia lists the contents, and apparently the first movement of the 2nd Brandenburg (Richter) and the Prelude and Fugue in C Major from Book 2 of the Well-Tempered Clavier (Gould) were the only Bach pieces included. Wouldn't have been my first choice, but with Bach that's only a minor issue since its all so great...
@chomskyFTW Yeah, even the great ones need more than a chord once in a while!! LOL
42 are louis spohr.
@lispectorando there's only one cellist...
This sounds as if they are trying to tell a story.
@lispectorando cos we're cellist :D
I would do the first cellist.
THere is only one cellist
They violists play long, syrupy legato lines, contrary the phrasing in Baroque performance practice, and the harpsichord sounds like one of those horrible Pleyel "harpsichords" from the 60s. Fortunately, Bach as performed by the likes of Richter are thing of the past.
I find the interpretation by Ludwig Güttler superior to this one, despite the inspiring 2nd viola.
I adore Richter, and Guttler is really very good too.
Vibrato is pointless in the fast movements.
@chomskyFTW Yrah, even the great ones need more than a chord once in a while!! LOL
@UndefendableDefender
versão dura, à base de cronômetro..isso deve fluir mais..e aqui parecem mais com uns sodadinhos tocando
pero esa es la idea.... ;)
gambas with end pins??? hahaha
And they're not using the bows correctly. LOL
Right!
Gambas MUST have endpins, Alejandro Holmquist!
Sorry, this is a tad too fast. Allegro bpm is stretched to the limit here and it doesn't work.
Wrong, only one cellist, the other 2 are viola da gamba, not cello.
Veloci, eh? In 10 minuti se la sono cavata 😄
Adamwoth, there already have been many Bachs..like..Chopan..and Earl Scruggs... each knew their instruments and how to compose to them. Bachs' kids produced very bland music..don't listen to it. There are more wonders of the art of making music for snobs to find.
yeah. thick, sustained, shitloads of vibrato and a bosendorfer of a harpsichord. really "timeless'" and sensitive. Who needs to hear the gamba parts anyways? The only thing that could have made this anymore "perfect" would be the addition of a theramin to the continuo group.
am I the only idiot to think that they look and play like robots?
No, you are not.
@@francescocorti6356 thank you bro🤕🤝
Esecuzione pesante e monotona.
lol None of the musicians are watching Karl Richter's silly conducting, or the wig on his head.
Lol!
Some rather puzzling position choices. Ugly shifts, different articulations. Too rough on the ears, wrong balance. Otherwise good.
6:08 is second movement