These are carefully thought-out and scrupulously executed performances in which no risk is taken. Nicolet adds basic ornaments where they are clearly called for but otherwise he plays just what he sees, though he sees (and plays) an E natural five bars from the end of BWV1030/I (track 1, 7'03'') where others more convincingly perceive it as an E sharp. His tone is warm and three-dimensional but his attack tends to be flat-tongued, sometimes at the expense of vitality. His superb breath-control (the intakes are rarely audible) allows him to phrase in long lines, though less lung-power is needed with the modern flute (which Nicolet uses) than with the instrument of Bach's day, but the injection of a little more 'air' between notes would have helped to deflect the occasional feeling of relentlessness. Richter keeps his own lines very clean, often buffing the basses, but rarely uses rubato to give them shape.
The recording is very clear and well balanced; the annotation is good but fails to mention that it was not Bach who completed BWV1032/I. The whole is very good in a well-planned but rather bland way.'