J.C. Bach: Symphonies, Op. 9

On this CD:

1. Symphony, for orchestra "No. 17b" in B-flat major, "Hummel" Op. 9/1, CW C17b (T. 268/3)
Composed by Johann Christian Bach
Performed by Hanover Band
Conducted by Anthony Halstead

2. Symphony, for orchestra "No. 18b" in E-flat major Op. 9/2, CW C18b (T. 268/6)
Composed by Johann Christian Bach
Performed by Hanover Band
Conducted by Anthony Halstead

3. Overture: Zanaida (II), opera overture (symphony) for orchestra, "Hummel" Op. 9/3, CW G5ov/b (T. 269/1)
Composed by Johann Christian Bach
Performed by Hanover Band
Conducted by Anthony Halstead

4. Symphony, for orchestra "No. 18a" in E-flat major (from manuscript), CW C18a
Composed by Johann Christian Bach
Performed by Hanover Band
Conducted by Anthony Halstead

5. Symphony, for orchestra "No. 17a" in B-flat major, "Sieber No. 2" , CW C17a
Composed by Johann Christian Bach
Performed by Hanover Band
Conducted by Anthony Halstead

6. Symphony, for orchestra "No. 19a" (with 2 clarinets) in E-flat major (from manuscript), CW C19a
Composed by Johann Christian Bach
Performed by Hanover Band
Conducted by Anthony Halstead

Tracks:

Sinfonia In G, Op. 6 No. 1: 1. Allegro con brio
Sinfonia In G, Op. 6 No. 1: 2. Andante
Sinfonia In G, Op. 6 No. 1: 3. Allegro assai
Sinfonia In D, Op. 6 No. 2: 1. Allegro spiritoso
Sinfonia In D, Op. 6 No. 2: 2. Andante
Sinfonia In D, Op. 6 No. 2: 3. Allegro spiritoso
Symphony In E, Op. 6 No. 3: 1. Allegro
Symphony In E, Op. 6 No. 3: 2. Andante
Symphony In E, Op. 6 No. 3: 3. Allegro assai
Sinfonia In B Flat, Op. 6 No. 4: 1. Allegro molto
Sinfonia In B Flat, Op. 6 No. 4: 2. Andante
Sinfonia In B Flat, Op. 6 No. 4: 3. Presto
Symphony In E, Op. 6 No. 5: 1. Allegro con brio
Symphony In E, Op. 6 No. 5: 2. Andante
Symphony In E, Op. 6 No. 5: 3. Allegro assai
Symphony In G, Op. 6 No. 6: 1. Allegro
Symphony In G, Op. 6 No. 6: 2. Andante piu tosto adagio
Symphony In G, Op. 6 No. 6: 3. Allegro molto
Symphony In B Flat, Op. 18 No. 2: 1. Allegro assai
Symphony In B Flat, Op. 18 No. 2: 2. Andante
Symphony In B Flat, Op. 18 No. 2: 3. Presto
Symphony In D, Op. 18 No. 4: 1. Allegro con brio
Symphony In D, Op. 18 No. 4: 2. Andante
Symphony In D, Op. 18 No. 4: 3. Rondo. Presto
Symphony In D, Op. 18 No. 6: 1. Allegro con spirito
Symphony In D, Op. 18 No. 6: 2. Andante
Symphony In D, Op. 18 No. 6: 3. Allegro

Tracks:

Symphony In E-Flat, Op. 18 No. 1: 1. Allegro spiritoso
Symphony In E-Flat, Op. 18 No. 1: 2. Andante
Symphony In E-Flat, Op. 18 No. 1: 3. Allegro
Symphony In D, Op. 18 No. 3: : 1. Allegro
Symphony In D, Op. 18 No. 3: 2. Andante
Symphony In D, Op. 18 No. 3: 3. Allegro assai
Symphony In E, Op. 18 No. 5: 1. (Allegro moderato)
Symphony In E, Op. 18 No. 5: 2. Andante
Symphony In E, Op. 18 No. 5: 3. Tempo di minuetto
Symphony In B-Flat, Op. 9 No. 1: 1. Allegro con spiritoso
Symphony In B-Flat, Op. 9 No. 1: 2. Andante
Symphony In B-Flat, Op. 9 No. 1: 3. Presto
Symphony In E-Flat, Op. 9 No. 2: 1. Allegro
Symphony In E-Flat, Op. 9 No. 2: 2. Andante con sordini
Symphony In E-Flat, Op. 9 No. 2: 3. Tempo di minuetto
Symphony In B-Flat, Op. 9 No. 3: 1. Allegro con spirito
Symphony In B-Flat, Op. 9 No. 3: 2. Andante
Symphony In B-Flat, Op. 9 No. 3: 3. Allegro
Overture In D: La calamita

Customer Reviews:

But too fast!.......2005-06-24

I subscribe to everything the other reviewer writes - with one single reservation: the tempos! The conductor, Zinman, makes the orchestra very articulate and his interpretation is free for all the mannerisms by which so many other directors are killing these nice symphonies. But Zinman is too fast! He hurries over the outer movements. It is of course impressive that his orchestra can be so articulate at such a speed, but I want music, not some sport performance. Philips had a LP recording in the 70ies, Four Symphonies, conducted by Raymond Leppard, which is so much better than this, capturing the gallant style, the spirit of the rococo era. But that LP had only four symphonies...

If you love Mozart you'll find this Revelatory!.......1998-09-12

I had always felt that the particular "sound" and language of Mozart -- similarities to Haydn notwithstanding -- simply appeared from nowhere. But listen to the work of J.C. Bach! When I first heard his works - in this Philips Duo set -- it was a revelation. And learning that J.C Bach was an early and powerful influence on the young Mozart serves to confirm the notion. Now, many people have written disparagingly about J.C. Bach -- people who should know better, like Charles Rosen (in his great work "The Classical Style") who basically accuses J.C. of being vacuous -- "sensitive, elegant, and a little empty" he puts it, I believe -- and says that he avoids depth of emotion to a disturbing degree. This attitude betrays a lack of familiarity with J.C.'s work. (Take, for example, the middle movement of the E-flat Symphony, op. 8 no. 2: in C minor, it is gentle, melancholy, with a subtle play of light and shadow-- but the impassioned final cadence is suddenly fortissimo and vehement.) These three sets of sinfonias display joy, vigor, melancholy, and are exquisitely beautiful. In fact, although structurally they are less advanced than contemporary Haydn, remember J.C. was isolated away from the center of the still not fully flowered Classical Style. (Comparisons with Haydn's and Mozart's contemporary works are instructive.) And J.C. died within a year of completing the Op. 18 works -- in his mid-forties... imagine how he might have developed! (Mozart, on hearing of J.C.'s death, said "It is a great loss for music." And he should know!) These Op. 18 works -- compared with almost everything else being written in 1781 -- are remarkably forward looking and advanced, not only in their delicious orchestrations, but also in texture and argument. If J.C. doesn't regularly dive into dark moods, remember that Mozart very rarely did as well. Though their minor-key moods are different, that may just be a personality difference: the dark, almost lugubrious depths Mozart plumbed contrasted with the gentle melancholy of J.C.'s minor key movements. He can be quite haunting in them -- a "sultry melancholy" as the Penguin Guide said of Boccherini. The performances on these discs are uniformly excellent as well, as if the recording quality. Very highyly recommended, especially for listeners who are aquainted with, and love, the language of Classical tonality. A foundation collection of the classial repertoire. Kudos to Philips for releasing these sets!

Average customer rating:

Halstead and forces do right by the "London Bach"

J.C. Bach: Symphonies, Op. 6, Nos. 1-6

Manufacturer: Cpo Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001RZ0
Release Date: 1996-01-23

Tracks:

Sym No.1 in G: Allegro Con Brio
Sym No.1 in G: Andante
Sym No.1 in G: Allegro Assai
Sym No.2 in D: Allegro Spirito
Sym No.2 in D: Andante
Sym No.2 in D: Allegro Spirito
Sym No.3 in E flat: Allegro Con Brio
Sym No.3 in E flat: Andante
Sym No.3 in E flat: Allegro Assai
Sym No.4 in B flat: Allegro Di Molto
Sym No.4 in B flat: Andante
Sym No.4 in B flat: Presto
Sym No.5 in E flat: Allegro Con Brio
Sym No.5 in E flat: Andante
Sym No.5 in E flat: Allegro Assai
Sym No.6 in g: Allegro
Sym No.6 in g: Andante Piu Tosto Adagio
Sym No.6 in g: Allegro Molto

Customer Reviews:

Halstead and forces do right by the "London Bach".......2001-07-02

If you can get over the confusion in their numbering, Johann Christian Bach's works are well worth exploring. The "London Bach" was a very influential composer early in the Classical period, highly regarded by Mozart himself and rising to the position of music master to the Queen of England before dying in poverty at the age of 46.

This release of one of J.C. Bach's most noted sets of symphonies is actually entitled by the liner notes "Six Symphonies, Hummel Op. 6"; it turns out that various publishers attached the "op. 6" designation to numerous different sets of the composer's work. (For example, there are also two "Opus 18"s, and the "Opus 8" symphonies released by an Amsterdam publisher in the mid 1770s actually include three of the symphonies already published in "Hummel Op. 6"! The work-numbering situation is so confused that in the absence of true catalog numbers, the "New Grove" numbers the works according to PAGE NUMBERS in C.S. Terry's study of the composer's output!) But the fame of this Op. 6 stems mainly from the final symphony of the set, a G Minor work which is unusually dark and serious for this time period and this composer.

Tracks:

Sym in B flat, Op.9/21, No.1: Allegro Con Spirito
Sym in B flat, Op.9/21, No.1: Andante
Sym in B flat, Op.9/21, No.1: Presto
Sym in E flat, Op.9/21, No.2: Allegro
Sym in E flat, Op.9/21, No.2: Andante
Sym in E flat, Op.9/21, No.2: Tempo Di Menuetto
Sym in B flat, Op.9/21, No.3: Allegro Assai
Sym in B flat, Op.9/21, No.3: Andante
Sym in B flat, Op.9/21, No.3: Allegro Di Molto
Sym in E flat, Sieber 1773 Collection, No.2: Allegro
Sym in E flat, Sieber 1773 Collection, No.2: Andante
Sym in E flat, Sieber 1773 Collection, No.2: Tempo Di Gavotta: Allegro
Sym in B flat, Sieber 1773 Collection, No.1: Allegro Con Spirito
Sym in B flat, Sieber 1773 Collection, No.1: Andante
Sym in B flat, Sieber 1773 Collection, No.1: Presto
Sym in E flat: Allegro
Sym in E flat: Andante
Sym in E flat: Tempo Di Menuetto

Average customer rating:

Incredible sound, incredible performances
History of Baroque Music: great sound, wealth of information

History of Baroque Music

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000028TYP
Release Date: 1999-10-12

Amazon.com

For anyone with more than a casual interest in music, any music, A History of Baroque Music: Instrumental Music and its companion volume devoted to secular music will prove invaluable. Here, thoughtfully arranged as five thematic programmes, is an anthology that delivers exactly what the title promises, and in doing so lays out the foundations of Western music; not just classical music, but the folk tradition and most everything else that has developed since. Despite the budget price, the collection is attractively packaged like a miniature LP box set, each disc presented in its own tastefully designed card sleeve. There is an astonishing six and a half hours of music, from the emergence of instrumental forms in the early 16th century to the development of the baroque orchestra and the concerto, with the final disc being devoted to an exploration of the specifically German Lutheran and polyphonic tradition. The accompanying booklet sets the context with 25 pages of, clear, accessible English-language notes, making the collection appropriate for educational use as well as providing undiluted pleasure through the music of Bach, Corelli, Dowland, Handel, Monteverdi, Purcell, Telemann, Vivaldi, and many lesser-known composers. The recordings, taken from Harmonia Mundi's extensive back catalog, come from many of the top names in early music performance, including the Academy of Ancient Music, William Christie, Ensemble 415, René Jacobs, London Baroque, and Ton Koopman and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. In other words, this is an anthology of the very highest quality, a rich banquet of absolutely wonderful music. --Gary S. Dalkin

Customer Reviews:

Incredible sound, incredible performances.......2002-12-03

This 5-CD set, one of three parts of an anthology of baroque music originally called "Pathways of Baroque Music," is undoubtedly the best introduction to Baroque music that has been issued, and it should be in the collection of every lover of Baroque or classical music. Unlike most anthologies or single-disk samplings of baroque music, the works are arranged according to genre and in historical order. Thus the set is extremely useful for increasing our understanding of Baroque instrumental music and its development, while giving us a taste of many composers and works that even hardened Baroque music lovers like myself may never have heard of.

What is more, the quality of the recordings and of the disks is unmatched -- I have never heard better sound out of my stereo equipment than I have with these disks, except perhaps when playing DVDs with 5-track surround sound and DTS. While these are only "conventional" CDs, I think they even sound better than the small number of SACDs that I have purchased. I wish harmonia mundi would re-release the whole 15-CD collection in large quantity so that we can purchase them new instead of used!

History of Baroque Music: great sound, wealth of information.......2002-01-30

This review is based on the French edition. The textual portion of the booklet is trilingual (French, English, German). The playlist is partly bilingual. The music is grouped and subgrouped by genre.

Disks:
The Emergence of Instrumental Music-transition from the earlier Renaissance: Improvisation, toccata, dance,etc.
Chamber Music
The Baroque Orchestra
Concerto
The Specifically German

All of the last four are similarly subgrouped.

The text is very informative about genres and specific compositions. This recording is refreshing in that it presents some lovely but lesser known music of the Baroque era.

Above all, Baroque music is a wonderful stress-buster. It is a shame this lovely collection has been so hard to get.

Music Track: