If you desire Bach’s keyboard transcriptions of Vivaldi concertos gathered together in one release, then organist Elena Barshai definitely fills a niche. In addition to the transcriptions for organ, Barshai includes her own organ realizations of works usually heard on a two-manual harpsichord, along with her two-organ arrangement of the Concerto for Four Harpsichords BWV 1065 (that Bach pilfered from Vivaldi’s Concerto for Four Violins), in which she plays both parts via multitracking.
Even in a catalog brimming with excellent Bach organ-music discs, Barshai’s solid artistry easily holds its own. Her crisp articulation and rhythmic verve are exactly what the quick outer movements require. Take, for example, BWV 595, adapted from Vivaldi’s violin concerto “Il grosso mogul”, where Barshai charges the lengthy, florid solo lines with an effortless bravura akin to the best fiddle virtuosos. In contrast to the brisk reserve with which an organist like Pieter van Dijk (Hänssler) shapes the slow movements, Barshai takes her time over the music and uses more varied, colorful, and ultimately expressive registrations. Compare these artists back-to-back in BWV 592’s Grave, and hear for yourself. And while the A minor concerto BWV 593 hardly lacks for first-rate recordings (notably Peter Hurford and Karl Richter), the firm outlines and unswerving concentration Barshai brings to the music commands equal respect. It helps, too, that Brilliant Classics’ analytic, well-defined engineering vivifies the colorful sonorities of the Metzler organ of the Church of St. Clara in Basel. In sum, top notch performances, great sound, and super-budget price all add up to a genuine bargain. [1/26/2006]
