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Track(s) taken from CDA67607/8

Keyboard Concerto No 3 in D major, BWV1054

composer

Angela Hewitt (piano), Australian Chamber Orchestra, Richard Tognetti (conductor)
Recording details: February 2005
Verbrugghen Hall, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia
Produced by Ludger Böckenhoff
Engineered by Ludger Böckenhoff
Release date: June 2005
Total duration: 16 minutes 11 seconds
 

Other recordings available for download

Andrew Arthur (harpsichord), The Hanover Band

Reviews

‘Her playing is absolutely captivating: she decorates the solo part with playful, come-hither ornamentation—twirls, flutters, arabesques—and yet it never disturbs the clear, logical path she forges through the course of each work. Her staccato touch has the force of sprung steel and yet her legato line is a miracle of smoothness and transparency. An absolute joy’ (Gramophone)

‘Hewitt's Bach is well-known for its expressive restraint, lucid textures and rhythmic grace. These virtues are abundantly present in her thoughtful, unmannered approach to the Concertos. Contrapuntal arguments are admirably clear and Hewitt's restricted use of the sustaining pedal ensure a pleasing clarity of dialogue. These virtues are mirrored by the lightly articulated bowing of the strings of the Australian Chamber Orchestra under the direction of its leader Richard Tognetti … my own prefernce lies just with Hewitt and her Australian musicians’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘These two discs, while available separately, go in tandem as a beguiling example of what can be achieved in performances of Baroque music on the piano when they have been prepared with such thought and are blessed with such compelling artistry as Angela Hewitt's. Her Bach catalogue for Hyperion is already extensive, and here she joins the outstanding Australian Chamber Orchestra for the six concertos and two other works that spotlight the keyboard, the Fifth Brandenburg Concerto and the A minor Triple Concerto with flute (Alison Mitchell) and violin (Richard Tognetti, who also directs the orchestra). The performances call on different traditions: Hewitt plays a modern Fazioli grand, the orchestra deploys certain historically aware techniques, to the extent of having a discreet harpsichord in the continuo part. But such is Hewitt's sensitivity to style, and such is the orchestra's versatility, that there is no sense of compromise or jarring anachronism. Rather, the two coalesce in interpretations of remarkable synergy and fascinating textures. The familiar argument that Bach would have written for a piano if only he had had one is nowhere given more persuasive advocacy than in Hewitt's singing melodic lines, her judicious range of tonal colouring and in her touch, which combines the crispness and full flavour of a fresh apple. Take a bite of any of these concertos, and you will want to make a whole meal of them’ (The Daily Telegraph)

‘Her fingers dance as well as sing: in the outer movements, rhythms are buoyantly sprung, and this communicates itself to the members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, whose slender string accompaniment in no way lessens their energy, while Hewitt responds by projecting the piano parts with all due attention to Bach's overall texture’ (International Record Review)

‘Here the Fazioli is heard at its exquisite best, its spongey bass chords pumping with clarity, its treble caressing a heart-tuggingly beautiful legato out of the slow movement, while the dainty strings sketch an almost tongue-in-cheek pizzicato in the background. Hewitt's sense of phrase is masterful … the statements have regal import under the authoritative hands of this queen of keyboard playing’ (The Times)

‘As always, she really sparkles in the allegros, infusing the music with wit as well as technical bravura’ (The Sunday Times)

‘The result of their historically informed modern-instrument take on the music is stunning, with crisp rhythms and singing melodic lines’ (Classic FM Magazine)

‘Hewitt's performances are brilliantly alive. Her subtle lyricism adds a rich, occasionally dark dimension, possibly not as Bach himself would have envisaged, but always with a deep sense of musical integrity’ (The Scotsman)

‘These are warmly involving interpretations of pioneering pieces’ (HMV Choice)

‘Her [Hewitt's] success comes from the shaping of each concerto, these are rhythmical, warm interpretations shimmering with boundless energy and skilled virtuosity’ (Cathedral Music)

‘Her playing is absolutely captivating: she decorates the solo part with playful, come-hither ornamentation—twirls, flutters, arabesques—and yet it never disturbs the clear, logical path she forges through the course of each work. Her staccato touch has the force of sprung steel and yet her legato line is a miracle of smoothness and transparency. An absolute joy’ (Metro)
The Concerto No 3 in D major, BWV1054 will be immediately recognizable as a transcription of the Violin Concerto in E major, BWV1042. The key change was to enable it to be played on the harpsichord where the highest note was D. It is a marvellous example of how the instrumentation in Bach’s music is often secondary to the music itself. The violin part is taken over by the right hand and frequently embellished, while the left hand reinforces the bass part, occasionally adding an extra flourish itself. The Adagio is similar to the great slow movement of the D minor Keyboard Concerto in its intensity and expressiveness. The change to D major from B minor after a slight pause in the middle of the movement is magical. The closing rondo is a dance in 3/8 time which can’t fail to lighten our spirits. I am always talking about the dance rhythms in Bach’s music and how they give it such great vitality, and this is an excellent example. The four episodes, each gaining in virtuosity, give the soloist a chance to shine.

from notes by Angela Hewitt © 2005

Vous reconnaîtrez sans peine dans le Concerto no 3 en ré majeur, BWV1054 une transcription du Concerto pour violon en mi majeur, BWV1042, le changement de tonalité ayant permis le passage au clavecin, où ré était la note la plus aiguë. Cette œuvre illustre à merveille combien, chez Bach, l’instrumentation est souvent secondaire par rapport à la musique même. La main droite reprend la partie de violon, fréquemment ornée, tandis que la gauche renforce la partie de basse avec, à l’occasion, une fioriture supplémentaire. Par son intensité et son expressivité, l’Adagio rappelle le grand mouvement lent du Concerto pour clavier en ré mineur. Le changement de si mineur à ré majeur, après une légère pause au cœur du mouvement, est magique. Le rondo conclusif est une danse à 3/8 qui ne pourra que nous rendre l’esprit léger. Je suis toujours en train de parler des rythmes de danse chez Bach, de la manière dont ils insufflent une si grande vitalité à sa musique – eh bien! en voilà un excellent exemple. Les quatre épisodes, gagnant chacun en virtuosité, donnent au soliste l’occasion de briller.

extrait des notes rédigées par Angela Hewitt © 2005
Français: Hypérion

Das Konzert Nr. 3 in D-Dur BWV1054 ist sofort als Bearbeitung des Violinkonzerts in E-Dur BWV1042 erkennbar. Der Tonartenwechsel wurde deshalb vorgenommen, damit es auf dem Cembalo, dessen höchster Ton das D ist, gespielt werden konnte. Es ist dies ein Musterbeispiel dafür, dass die Instrumentierung bei Bach der Musik häufig untergeordnet ist. Der Violinpart wird von der rechten Hand übernommen und ist oft verziert, während die linke Hand den Bass verstärkt und zuweilen eigene Figuren hinzufügt. Das Adagio hat eine ähnliche Intensität und Ausdrucksstärke wie der großartige langsame Satz des d-Moll Klavierkonzerts. Der Wechsel von h-Moll zu D-Dur nach einer kleinen Pause in der Mitte des Satzes ist zauberhaft. Das abschließende Rondo ist ein Tanzsatz in 3/8, der auf jeden eine aufheiternde Wirkung haben muss. Ich komme immer wieder auf die Tanzrhythmen und deren Vitalität in Bachs Musik zurück und es ist dies ein erstklassiges Beispiel dafür. Die vier Episoden werden jeweils immer virtuoser und geben dem Solisten Gelegenheit zu glänzen.

aus dem Begleittext von Angela Hewitt © 2005
Deutsch: Viola Scheffel

Other albums featuring this work

Bach: Harpsichord Concertos Nos 1, 3, 4 & 7
Studio Master: SIGCD710Download onlyStudio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
Bach: The Keyboard Concertos, Vol. 2
CDA67308Download only
Bach: The Keyboard Concertos, Vol. 2
This album is not yet available for downloadSACDA67308Super-Audio CD — Deleted
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