The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra Plays Johann Sebastian Bach and His Contemporaries
City Recital Hall, Sydney: 9 May, 2012
Continues in Sydney until 19 May.
J. S. Bach – Sinfonia from Cantata Wir danken dir, Gott, BWV 29
J. S. Bach - Chorale “Jesus bleibet meine Freude” (“Jesu joy of man’s desiring”) from Cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147
J. S. Bach - Orchestral Suite No.1 in C major BWV 1066
J. S. Bach - Opening chorus from Cantata Unser Mund sei voll Lachens, BWV 110
Jan Dismas Zelenka – Kyrie from Missa Sancti Josephi, ZWV 14
Telemann – Concerto for two horns in D major TWV: 52: D
I. Largo – Allegro
II. Vivace
III. Affetuoso
IV. Allegro
Darryl Poulsen and Dorée Dixon – Baroque horns
Handel – Coronation Anthem No. 2 “My heart is inditing” HWV 261
Handel – Coronation Anthem No. 4 “Let thy hand be strengthened” HWV 259
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
Paul Dyer – artistic director and harpsichord
Brandenburg Choir
soloists:
Belinda Montgomery – soprano
Tim Chung – alto
Eric Peterson – tenor
Simon Turnill – bass
Paul Dyer says he sees playing Johann Sebastian Bach as the “ultimate experience for a musician,” rightfully so, the same goes for a listener too, and in naming his orchestra after the most famous of Bach’s instrumental works, he puts his money where his mouth is, but more importantly so in the fine, detailed playing, expressiveness and unforced enthusiasm, which show much care and thought in the preparation of this program. Sydney perhaps is not and never claimed to be a great Bach town, but either way, as a lover of his music, I can feel sorely deprived of him, despite the odd performance on period instruments or otherwise over the last two years. So it felt like a parched walker coming upon a water-hole to hear a program where the whole first half was devoted to Bach and the rest to contemporary (with a small ‘c’) music. The ABO has pulled out many of the stops (within reason), assembling a larger-than-usual group of 10 violins, four violas, three cellos, one bass, two flutes, three oboes, one bassoon, two horns, three trumpets, theorbo, timpani, organ and harpsichord, as well as a choir of about 35, though of course not all of these for all pieces.
Read the full review on the Berkshire Review, an international journal for the arts!

