Bach be-bop

[alessandro]

Hello everybody !

Just heard someone say that Bach's music is "the closest one can get to a concept of god", I thought that was funny.  I was immediately thinking at his choral and vocal works and my thought shot towards the sheer joy of the Brandenburg-concertos and while I was humming the first one, that same rocket of thought brought me to Miles Davis' Birth of Cool.   Now, it's not the first time that I hear punk, anarchy, or pre-jazz things in "old music" ; is there a real free bopping recording of this Brandenburg-concertos ?; I suddenly felt that I never heard a "free enough" (you know what I mean ?), truly liberal recording of these Brandenburg-concertos, a recording where the joy bursts and dazzles.   I can still enjoy the freedom that for example Argerich has taken in some of her performances of Bach Partitas, but I've never heard a free-bopping Brandenburg-concerto.   Maybe I should record one myself 

Anyway, a big hug to you all.

[j_menz]

Not the Brandenburgs, unfortunately, but these might be to your taste:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL21D76AF247F75E55

[worov]

I don't know about Brandenburg concertos.

Have you heard of the Swingle Singers ? Give it a try :

BWV 876 :

They recorded several Bach pieces.

[j_menz]

How did I forget these:

And a whole heap of others also listed here.

[alessandro]

Thanks a lot j_menz, worov ! I quickly had the feeling that I asked the question in a wrong way - I've heard of what the "Loussier - Bobby Mc Ferrin - Swingle Sisters..." did with Bach, and I'm not an overall fan of it.  Nothing against Bobby Mc Ferrin, you know, and I like Django Reinhardt a lot ! The "Nigel Kennedy"-stuff was more what I was hoping for.   No transcription, but just a lot of freedom taken (unfortunately,for me, the Nigel Kennedy stuff was not only no Brandenburg concerto, but it turns into nothing really exciting, it's fast, okay, and passionate, but it lacks something, so no, Nigel Kennedy is somewhat disappointing.)  No, what I was hoping for is a link, or a recording or a memory of a live performance of these Brandenburgconcertos that really flabbergasted you.   Something with a groove like in

I'm sorry to post this link 'again' on this forum, but it happens to illustrate what I was thinking at ; when you master a piece, and when you go with your flow, sometimes something jazzy happens.   I've heard it with Richter, or Gould and others...   I only have a DECCA recording with the English Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Benjamin Britten and that is perfectly fine.   But it is tight, very, very 'classical' in a way, but nice, I'm very happy with it.   I was just wondering if there is some recording, memory that has more spirit and adventure in it.  And well, whilst we're at it, why restrain ourselves to Brandenburg ; is there any recording of performance where you've heard - wow - this is really a once in a lifetime groovy thing.   I'm not thinking at 'what is your favourite performance of your favourite piece' type of thing.  I'm really thinking at "groove", you know, the altered state you are into and where you get away with the freedom.

I stop writing before it becomes too much nonsense.


VERY VERY WARM GREETINGS TO YOU ALL PIANO