Bach/Telemann: Oboe d'amore Concertos

"This disk is wholly successful, the performances are bright and sprightly. However, don't forget that because the oboe d'amore is larger than the oboe it is harder to handle and the allegros seem to be more moderato due to its not being as agile as its smaller friend. There is also a slightly darker hue to the music. That said, these are lovely works which deserve to be heard. Stacey plays very well and is ably accompanied by the Toronto Chamber Orchestra. The harpsichord is slightly backwardly placed but is always in evidence. The recording is bright and clear and the notes good."
(MusicWeb Sept 2008)

Thomas Stacy is widely known through his recordings, television appearances and as English hornist with the New York Philharmonic. He also has a passion for playing the English horn's smaller relative, the oboe d'amore.

"Many listeners will recognize the distinctive sound of the oboe d'amore from having heard it in Bach's B Minor Mass, St Matthew Passion, where it is used in pairs, or in Ravel's Bolero. Hearing this instrument solo in these beautiful concerti may be a new experience for some. Telemann and Bach used the instrument brilliantly, requiring agile virtuosity in the fast movements and in the long lines of the heart-tugging slow movements, they made splendid show of the oboe d'amore's uniquely plaintive timbre." - Thomas Stacy