German cellist Nicolas Altstaedt and British keyboard player Jonathan Cohen, both rising stars in Europe, have joined forces in a compelling album of works for viola-da-gamba and harpsichord by J.S. Bach, released by Genuin.
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
- Classical Music 101 | What Does Period Instrument Mean? - May 6, 2019
- CLASSICAL MUSIC 101 | What Does It Mean To Be In Tune? - April 23, 2019
The gamba, an ancestor of the cello’s, is from the sweet-sounding, dynamically limited viola family. Altstaedt is using a modern cello, but he plays it with gamba-style shorter, lighter bowing which somehow manages to evoke a gamba’s silky basic character.
Altstaedt’s technique is phenomenal — as is Cohen’s. Together, they bring to vibrant life three pieces from Bach’s years in Cöthen — the time when he wrote his great instrumental music.
The three sonatas — G Major, BWV 1027, D Major, BWV 1028 and G minor, BWV 1029 — sing, dance and, ultimately, impress.
This is one of those albums that could easily slip by unnoticed in the seasonal flood. Period-performers might dismiss it as not quite authentic. Fans of modern instruments might turn up their noses at the harpsichord.
But rather than containing something to piss off just about everyone, this album is the opposite: it contains something to charm just about every taste. The slow movements are particularly winsome.
Check out the details here.
To help introduce Altstaedt, here he is a fascinating take on the Courante from Bach’s fifth Suite, from 2008:
John Terauds
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
- Classical Music 101 | What Does Period Instrument Mean? - May 6, 2019
- CLASSICAL MUSIC 101 | What Does It Mean To Be In Tune? - April 23, 2019
