Bach: Brandenburg Concertos 1-6 (Blu-ray)

In November 2004 a new name caused listeners to prick up their ears on the international orchestral scene: under Claudio Abbado's artistic guidance the Orchestra Mozart came into being. It combines both young instrumentalists on the threshold of a first-rate career as well as eminent chamber musicians such as Danusha Waskiewicz, Alois Posch, Jacques Zoon, Michaela Petri, Ottavio Dantone, Mario Brunello, Alessio Allegrini, Jonathan Williams and Reinhold Friedrich. As with his famous Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Abbado hand-picked an ensemble to his liking, this time one of early- and Baroque-music specialists, all masters in their field. Recorded live in the handsome 19th-century Teatro Municipale Romolo Valli in Reggio Emilia in 2007, this DVD documents Bach's Brandenburg Concertos performed in all their delicate beauty by this very special orchestra. Each concerto is scored for different forces and, in total, the six concertos draw on virtually the entire range of instruments that existed during the High Baroque. The instrumental variety of these pieces, together with Bach's genius as a composer, ensured that the Brandenburg Concertos soon came to occupy a key position in the history of music, a position they continue to hold to this day. Claudio Abbado, violinist Giuliano Carmignola and the Orchestra Mozart achieve a wonderful homogeneity and translucency in their sound - this is Baroque chamber music at its very best and the DVD recording allows you to share in an audio-visual feast!