Big, bold, and expressive Bach playing isn't dead, it's just moved to what the Brits call the Antipodes. In this 2009 recording of Bach's violin concertos, with soloist
Richard Tognetti and the
Australian Chamber Orchestra, the heart and soul of Bach's music is emphatically its heart and soul, and not its mind and spirit. That is,
Tognetti plays these war horses as secular, not sacred, pieces, as deeply human works aiming above all to communicate emotions, and he completely succeeds . One intimately feels the arch of his lines, the ache of his trills, and the intensity of his phrasing, as if the soloist was in the room with the listener. In every work -- and included here are not only the two solo violin concertos in A minor and E major and the double violin concerto in D minor, but also the violin and oboe concerto in C minor --
Tognetti plays with supreme polish, with nary a note out of place. That is only to be expected in these relatively easy works, but what could not be expected was the dedication and the passion
Tognetti brings to the music, and for that, Bach lovers must be grateful. The other soloists, oboist
Diana Doherty and violinist Helena Rathbone, are as intent as
Tognetti in expressing the heart of the music, and the
Australian Chamber Orchestra is a crackerjack ensemble that supports all the soloists with verve and enthusiasm. ABC Classics' digital sound may be a tad too reverberant for some tastes, but for others, its lush acoustic may be just right.