Listeners who already know Masaaki Suzuki and the Bach Collegium Japan from their recordings of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, violin concertos, cantatas, and Passions will know what to expect from their recording of Bach's overtures. For those listeners unfamiliar with Suzuki and the BCJ, what they can expect is bright, light, lively, and loving performances of superior virtuosity and impeccable lucidity. They can expect brilliant string playing, emphatic brass playing, impressive tympani playing, and, in the Third Suite, ...
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Listeners who already know Masaaki Suzuki and the Bach Collegium Japan from their recordings of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, violin concertos, cantatas, and Passions will know what to expect from their recording of Bach's overtures. For those listeners unfamiliar with Suzuki and the BCJ, what they can expect is bright, light, lively, and loving performances of superior virtuosity and impeccable lucidity. They can expect brilliant string playing, emphatic brass playing, impressive tympani playing, and, in the Third Suite, stunning flauto traverso playing. They can expect incisive tempos, clear textures, clean counterpoint, and joyous interpretations. They can also expect the occasionally odd rhythmic accents -- where did the offbeat accents come from in the Third Ouverture's Menuet? -- and, every so often, a certain sense of superficiality -- the Fourth Ouverture's happiness is unfeigned but sometimes seems a shade shallow. But, for listeners who don't already know Suzuki and the BCJ's work, the set is...
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