Recordings of the Brandenburg Concertos are so numerous—and continually proliferating—that a new one needs to offer something special of its own. In this case the something is not so much musical (there are other good, middle-of-the-road versions available) as economic; within its category this is the first budget-price CD version. The present disc has only the first three Concertos but another with the rest is due for early release, so this heralds a full set.
Overall these performances are neat, nicely paced and without heaviness—in fact it is the bass lines that occasionally lack full clarity. These are pretty much 'as is' readings in which the first oboe alone ventures some decoration of its own in the first Trio of Concerto No. 1. The space between the two known movements of No. 3 is bridged by some token flourishes on the harpsichord. There are a few minor blemishes to record: in Concerto No. 1/III the first entry of the violino piccolo is rather rough-hewn, in Concerto No. 2/I the otherwise excellent trumpeter produces a few strangulated notes and the piano/forte contrasts near the end (from bar 107) are minimal. The recording is generally good but tends to favour the upper strings; in Concerto No. 1 the horns are slightly backgrounded. Within its parameters (middle-of-the-road, CD, budget-price) this recording is a strong contender as a staging post on the way to any of the several period-instrument CD versions now available.'