Horn Concertos [CD]

This is no deception - right from the first work of this recording, a concerto from the rich oeuvre of Bach's contemporary Johann Friedrich Fasch, a 'Brandenburg' mood is set and this becomes increasingly tangible as the music unfolds. After virtuoso pieces by Johann David Heinichen, Gottfried Heinrich Stolzel and Melchior Hoffmann, the Leipzig St. Thomas Cantor himself ultimately surprises us with the Sinfonia to his Cantata 174, a splendid, lavishly-scored variant of the first movement from the third Brandenburg Concerto. This is a great challenge for the two main protagonists, who perform true marvels on their natural horns and trumpets together with the inspiring ensemble L'arpa festante.