Written by the 62-year-old composer in 1747 for King Frederick II of Prussia, Bach's Musical Offering is challenging, witty, and spiritual, and thus incapable of being exhausted by any one performance. As Ton Koopman and seven members of the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra demonstrate, there is always something new to be found in the score. In this June 2008 recording, Koopman and his forces are as virtuosic as the best recent recordings and as expressive as the best older recordings. With a tight but relaxed ensemble and an ...
Read More
Written by the 62-year-old composer in 1747 for King Frederick II of Prussia, Bach's Musical Offering is challenging, witty, and spiritual, and thus incapable of being exhausted by any one performance. As Ton Koopman and seven members of the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra demonstrate, there is always something new to be found in the score. In this June 2008 recording, Koopman and his forces are as virtuosic as the best recent recordings and as expressive as the best older recordings. With a tight but relaxed ensemble and an approach that brings out the melody in every countrapuntal line, Koopman and the ABO lean more toward the profound and spiritual than other accounts, and the emotional depths in the trio sonata's Largo have rarely been so abysmal. And yet, there is still plenty of energy in the fast movements, and the Canons' wit is not neglected. Recorded in clear, natural sound, this Musical Offering deserves to be heard by anyone who enjoys the piece. ~ James Leonard, Rovi
Read Less
