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Bach: Concertos for One, Two and Three Violins

This CD is a fabulous showcase for the depth of talent among the Portland Baroque Orchestra’s violin sections – as well as the artistic director, Monica Huggett, no fewer than four of them take solo lines;

Portland Baroque Orchestra, Monica Huggett
75:06
Portland Baroque Media PB501
BWV1041-43, 1063, 1064R

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his CD is a fabulous showcase for the depth of talent among the Portland Baroque Orchestra’s violin sections – as well as the artistic director, Monica Huggett, no fewer than four of them take solo lines; Carla Moore plays the A minor concerto (as well as the second lines of BWV1603 and 1064R), Rob Diggins the E major concerto (and the third line in BWV 1064R), Jolianne Einem plays the top line of the D minor double and the third line of BWV1063, and Adam LaMotte plays the lower part of BWV1043. The three well-known pieces are nicely played and placed centrally in the programme. The less well-known of the “reclaimed” concertos, the D minor BWV1063, whose outer move-ments in particular are full of extremely virtuosic passages, opens the disc and proceedings are brought to a close by the other work for three violins, BWV1064R, which the Portlanders perform without ripieno violins.

Brian Clark

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