The title of this disc, Johann Sebastian Bach -- Complete Sinfonias, may be somewhat misleading. After all, a sinfonia by Bach is not a symphony by Haydn, Beethoven,
Mahler, or
Shostakovich, that is, not a multi-movement orchestral work used to entertain or edify in a concert hall. A Bach sinfonia is a single movement orchestral work used to introduce a cantata, a multi-movement vocal-orchestral work used to enlarge and expand a religious service. Thus, Bach's sinfonias have no true independent existence and excerpting them to stand as independent works is not something that would have ever occurred to the composer.
Be that as it may, the idea of presenting Bach's 23 sinfonias as independent works apparently has enough appeal to make this two-disc set with
Helmuth Rilling directing the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart seem initially attractive. How attractive it remains after listening to more than a couple of the tracks is an open question. For fans of period instruments and period performance practice, the sound of the Stuttgart's modern instruments in a more or less modern style may be enough to sink the collection. For fans of tight playing, strong rhythms, and a unified ensemble, the Stuttgart's scrappy playing, sloppy rhythms, and slack ensemble may not be satisfying. And for fans of the deeply soulful and profoundly spiritual art of Bach,
Rilling's staid, sober, and stolid interpretations may not substitute for truly, deeply, profoundly spiritual interpretations. Hänssler's digital sound is raw, close, and hard.