The first movement
of concerto no. 4 emerges here as the
perfect counterpart to an eighteenth
century painting of a family music party,
with each member smilingly at harmony
with the next; such is the sense of
pure joy which the performance exudes,
the busy counterpoint far from a cerebral
exercise, but rather a conversational
interplay of ideas.
I chose the first movement
of the first piece on the disc (they
are played in the order 4, 3, 2, 5,
6) simply because this was my first
impression; but in truth I think that
any of the swifter movements would have
told the same story. It is no doubt
Angela Hewitt’s ability to make Bach
a living person rather than a monument
which has made her Hyperion series such
a success.
I have a query, though,
regarding the slow movements. The Australian
Chamber Orchestra is a very fine group
and it has clearly taken to heart the
lessons of the "authenticists".
This means that in the slow movements
we get an un-vibratoed sound with an
expressive bulge on long notes, but
with the notes kept separate. Long legato
phrases are "out". With some
slow movements this is more of an issue
than with others. I didn’t bring up
this question when reviewing
volume 1 because none of the slow
movements there seemed of a nature to
be affected by it. Nor is that of no.
6 here – if you don’t know these concertos,
you will be surprised to find that this
one is a version of the 4th
Brandenburg Concerto – and the sepulchral
sounds which open and close that of
no. 3 are truly imaginative. But in
that of no. 4, and in the "Siciliano"
of no. 2, it is somewhat strange to
find the piano spinning long legato
lines while the strings chop the same
phrases into small units. Mind you,
JSB himself might have been intrigued
by the paradox that the strings, which
can play long "vocal"
legato lines, don’t do so while
the piano which theoretically can only
hint at them, does so.
But I think this paradox is more illuminating
when the harpsichord is used as the
solo instrument, since only by the purest
trickery can it even hint at "vocal"
legato. When the piano is the solo instrument,
I suggest it may be better to integrate
rather than contrast the expressive
styles.
Still, this is more
of a talking point than a criticism,
and you may not agree anyway. What is
in no doubt is that this is a Bach record
to cherish. Recommended in particular
to those who usually find this composer
rather forbidding in all his contrapuntal
ingenuity.
This is also a record
that reinforces the image of Hyperion
as a company of music-lovers which makes
records for music-lovers. What a tragedy
it would be if as a result of their
ill-advised court case all this activity
on behalf of music were to disappear,
or to be drastically curtailed. So just
a plea to readers: if a new Hyperion
issue sounds attractive to you, do put
it on the very top of your shopping-list.
Hyperion needs its customers’ support
at the moment, and music-lovers need
Hyperion to continue.
Christopher Howell
Volume
1
Angela Hewitt (piano), Alison Mitchell, Emma
Sholl (flutes)* 
