I have enjoyed the recordings of the Cologne Chamber Orchestra under Helmut Muller Bruhl before . Clearly a lot of thought and care have gone into producing these recordings . The soloists are all excellent and I particularly enjoy the oboe playing of Christian Hommel who is featured on another CCO cd of Bach concertos .
Perhaps it's just because this is the first recording of the Brandenburgs that I owned - but I love these versions. They are crisp, clean, clear, well-played; the tempos are a bit on the fast side, but it's still nothing compared to the Swiss Baroque Soloists version of these works, which is generally much faster. This is the version for fans of vigorous, modern-instrument performances... one of the best, if not the best, on eMusic.
The tempos are too fast, leaving no time for the music -- as if CCO could hardly wait to get it over with. Too bad. The works deserve better.
Agreed.
If you want the Brandenburgs, this is not the best interpretation ever, but it certainly is the best available on eMusic as I write this. Definitely worth it.
