Barbican Hall
Piano Concerto no.3 in D major, BWV 1054
Piano Concerto no.4 in A major, BWV 1055
Piano Concerto no.1 in D minor, BWV 1052
Piano Concerto no.2 in E major, BWV 1053
Piano Concerto no.5 in F minor, BWV 1056
Piano Concerto no.7 in G minor, BWV 1058
Berliner Barock Solisten
Six out of the seven Bach keyboard concertos:
a tall order by any standards, and in practice probably better suited to recording
than live performance, or at least spit between a couple of concerts,
interspersed with other works (and/or maybe multiple soloists, even instruments).
Indeed, it came as little surprise to read that Alexandros Kapelis and the
Berliner Barock Solisten have indeed recorded these works, plus the missing BWV
1057. Still, it was not the first and will not be the last concert to present
more of a CD than a concert programme, and I chose to go, curious to see what
would come of the idea.
Putting aside, insofar as one can, the programming, how then did it turn out? Perhaps
inevitably, my experience was mixed, the second half to my ears generally
stronger than the first. (There is nothing unusual about that in a solo piano
recital or many other concerts.) Perhaps the biggest problem for me was a general
uniformity of approach, especially during the first half. If one is going to
programme this way, one surely needs to consider what makes these works
different from one another and communicate that—as well, doubtless, as what they
hold in common. The D major Concerto, BWV 1054, set a pattern for much of what
was to come, its first movement bright and bouncy, piano playing less distinct –
perhaps in part a matter of acoustics – than that of the strings, although here
and elsewhere Kapelis’s trills were very much to be enjoyed.
What I missed even in isolation, and despite gravely beautiful playing from the Berlin strings in the slow movement, was a sense either of chamber music or of the pianist leading, let alone of interplay or tension between the two. The small orchestra (4.3.2.2.1), led by Daniele Gaede, pretty much did its own thing and Kapelis played along. Might a conductor have helped? Perhaps. Not that the orchestra needed it, but perhaps a conductor would have helped connect the soloist with them. Moreover, it was the orchestra, more than the pianist, that tended to vary its approach, the second slow movement (BWV 1055) more austere, somewhat ‘period’ in tone.
It was definitely Steinway rather than Bösendorfer playing and certainly seemed to be conceived for the piano. (Why would you play Bach on the piano only to try to make it sound like the harpsichord, in which endeavour you will certainly fail?) In the D minor Concerto, BWV 1052, there were some distinctly odd passages, violin imitation/derivation in the first movement sounding merely heavy, whilst the second often seemed listless, a relatively swift tempo notwithstanding. The third movement nonetheless sprang to life, mostly maintaining that impetus. There were even, much to the music’s benefit, a few signs of Kapelis actually leading proceedings.
The outer movements of BWV 1053 in E major largely maintained that shift of gear. The first was impressively variegated and well-articulated. There was a sense both of air behind the sails—and of high-quality sails too. I suspect it was no coincidence that the orchestra sounded more committed too. There was a better approach to chamber music in the Siciliano, even if usually of piano listening to and following the strings rather than of true give-and-take. When it came to solo passages, though, Kapelis’s playing was oddly detached, as if embarrassed to sound ‘Romantic’. The two final concertos mostly followed that pattern, with noticeable springs in the step for outer movements, the finales admirably vigorous. The slow movement of BWV 1058 was notably more successful, offering greater continuity and some genuinely lovely playing, than its counterpart in BWV 1056: oddly choppy, both at the time and as an encore.
Still, there was a large audience at the
Barbican, many of whom will surely have been hearing some or all of these works
for the first time. If I had reservations about some aspects of the
performances, there was also much to enjoy. Further acquaintance with Bach’s
music is rarely, if ever, anything but time well spent.
