This selection of Bach keyboard concertos may not constitute “Bach-lite”, but the performances bear no evidence of body fat. The Concerto Italiano constitutes 10 string players whose dapper, regimented precision in the tuttis borders on brutality (try, for instance, the karate-chop opening theme of the D major concerto). An archlute and bassoon fortify the texture at key junctures. One might wish that Rinaldo Alessandrini’s unbridled treatment of the solo parts were more prominently miked. Some of the rapid tempos preclude clear articulation of quick figurations. As a result, the basic pulse slows down over time, as in the F major concerto’s opening movement (this concerto is arranged from the Brandenburg No. 4). There’s plenty of spiky detailing and deft linear interplay throughout the Triple Concerto for Flute, Violin, and Harpsichord, a hybrid work adapted from two of Bach’s solo keyboard pieces. Too bad that Opus 111 doesn’t include the remaining keyboard concertos in its 250th anniversary Bach collection. The Levin/Rilling (Hänssler), Pinnock/English Consort (Archiv), and Cologne Chamber Orchestra (Naxos, with various soloists) versions allow these works more breathing room (both sonic and interpretive), and a less studied approach to dynamics. Still, Alessandrini and colleagues offer stimulating readings and not a little food for thought.
