Music from Aston Magna is a chamber ensemble which plays early and baroque
music and records for Centaur (maybe others also).  I finally got around to
obtaining their recording of Bach's A Musical Offering.  Also on the disc
are the Sonata in E Major, BWV 1035 for Flute and Bass Continuo and the 14
Canons on the Bass-Line of the Goldberg Variations.  Don't you think that's
an interesting program?

I tend to think of A Musical Offering as, in public stature, a poor cousin
to The Art of Fugue. I find the former a darker work and significantly
melancholy.  Both are masterpieces, and I wish A Musical Offering was
recorded more frequently.

The 14 Canons is an interesting short piece.  Bach used the first 8 notes
of the bass-line to the Aria of the Goldberg Variations as the foundation
for the work.  He then moves on to an increasingly complicated series of
"imitations" that turns the initial theme on its head several times over.
The piece keeps one thinking, and thinking, and thinking.

Now to the performances.  The ensemble is led by Daniel Stepner who plays
violin and viola along with Linda Quan.  Christopher Krueger is on baroque
flute, Laura Jeppesen on viola da gamba, and John Gibbons plays (and you'll
like this) the fortepiano.

The Ricercar in 3 voices begins the proceedings.  Played only on
fortepiano, I initially felt that I was being bombarded by the the most
powerful fortepiano ever built.  But, one simple adjustment of the audio
controls totally eliminated that situation.  Now, the fortepiano had a nice
sharpness and depth to it, and Gibbons gave a great performance of the
Ricercar.  So far, so good.  But, when the string instruments entered the
picture, the performance really took off for me.  I've never heard period
stringed instruments sound so good - pungent, perfect intonation, and
interacting so expertly and naturally, except for the Monica Huggett
recording of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante on Virgin (I believe even Bob
Draper would like this version).

This is a fantastic recording and program.  If you know you like A Musical
Offering and period instruments, get a copy right now.  If unfamiliar with
the work, it's best to sample first.  You could be very depressed by the
end of the composition - actually, you could get there long before the end.

Don's conclusion - Must Buy Now.

Almost forgot.  There is a flute and Krueger plays it nicely.

Don Satz
[log in to unmask]