BACH: THE OVERTURES

J.S Bach: Overtures
Original versions

Overture No. 1 in C major, BWV 1066
Overture No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067
Overture No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068
Overture No. 4 in D major, BWV 1069

Johann Sebastian Bach's overtures are bouquets of the many popular dance movements of the Baroque era. They are what we understand today as suites , and the four works on this CD are often referred to as Bach's orchestral suites. But he himself used the term overture, both because of the French origin of the dance suite and because the opening movement was an "overture in the French manner". Previously, it was commonly believed that these suites were written in Leipzig in the late 1730s, when Bach was Kapellmeister of the Collegium Musicum . Today, all indications are that the suites were written much earlier, and that they were simply adapted to special needs during his Leipzig years. Therefore, it is not unusual to hear them performed without trumpets and timpani as on this recording.
Karl Aage Rasmussen

Reviews:
Editors choice, Gramophone July 2021
"Mortensen gleans a freshness from his players, a sense of swing fuelled on joy. Their tirades are more like streaks of sparkle, outlining larger shapes of grace." (Mark Seow, Gramophone, August 2021)

♥♥♥♥♥ "It is a wild experience to listen to the sonic perfection that Concerto Copenhagen has managed to achieve in their recording. The energy, the intimate soundscape and the many emphases that make the music come alive have the same expression as live. " (Henrik Friis, Politiken, 31.05 2021)

"Bach's finest orchestral music played with lightness, elegance and rhetorical diversity (...) At no point is the music massaged on this album, not even the 4th Suite's fiery dance of joy, Réjouissance. Because here Coco plays flying and relaxed like a big band on tiptoe, syncopations and coordinations are spot on, so captivating that the song could stand as the emblem of this magnificent release" (Valdemar Lønsted, Information, 25.05.2021)

Musicians:

Concerto Copenhagen
Flute: Katy Bircher
Oboe: Antoine Torunczyk, Andreas Helm, Per Bengtsson
Bassoon: Jane Gower
Violin: Fredrik From, Hannah Tibell
Viola: Torbjörn Köhl
Cello: Judith-Maria Blomsterberg
Double bass: Megan Adie
Musical direction and harpsichord: Lars Ulrik Mortensen

The album was released in 2021