Thanks to Donald for the Musical Offering comparative analyses.  As far as
I know there are also good recordings by N.  Harnoncourt (by the way, is it
the first recording of the full Musical Offering?) and by N.  Marriner.

Neville Marriner's renditions are excellent, although sometimes far
from Baroque style.  For example, his Canon a 2 per augmentationem
contrario motu is played by many string instruments (sorry don'thave the
CD anymore to tell the exact number; I have made MP3s to include in my
2CD personal-use set with ALL instrumental Bach - I love the technology:).
So I can't tell the number of instruments but they do sound as a whole
orchestra.  The result is a piece sounding more like something from a
Romantic period.  However, it's an undoubtedly good thing for me:
Marriner's strings add much to melodic dynamism - they alternate soft and
loud passages as if being a breathing live organism.  Marriner seems to
climb virtual steps:  starting queitly and gradually increasing the volume
and expressiveness (it's especially clear in his Canon a 2 circularis per
tonos).

Juozas Rimas Jr
http://mp3.com/JuozasRimas