Documentary evidence clearly supports the assertion that Bach loved the oboe–and its brethren, the oboe d’amore and oboe da caccia–especially as a partner to the voice in his sacred vocal works. But how often he favored the instrument as soloist in sonatas or concertos remains sketchy, for only a few examples or hints of their existence have survived. One of the more famous concertos, and perhaps the one most often recorded, is the Concerto in C minor for oboe and violin, reconstructed from its later incarnation as a concerto for two harpsichords BWV 1060. Two others–BWV 1055 for oboe d’amore and BWV 1056 for oboe–also are reconstructions from keyboard concertos, the original oboe versions having been lost.
On this disc oboist Burkhard Glaetzner offers these works plus two others derived from existing cantata movements and a “hypothetical” yet “intuitively arranged” oboe version of the well-loved violin concerto in A minor BWV 1041. It’s a fine and very engaging program, well-founded in historical precedent–and the performances are appropriately spirited if a bit formal in style, the solo work polished (both in terms of technique and tone), and the ensemble lively if slightly lacking in crispness of articulation, especially in the fastest passages. If pressed to name a highlight, it would have to be the concerto in A major BWV 1055, one of Bach’s more exciting instrumental creations, full of catchy tunes and rhythms–and Glaetzner and his orchestra play as if they enjoy every note.
I prefer the hand-in-hand easy assuredness of the interaction between Catherine Mackintosh (violin) and Stephen Hammer (oboe) in their rendition of the C minor concerto (L’Oiseau Lyre), uplifted by the Academy of Ancient Music’s snappy accompaniment. I also choose Antoine Torunczyk’s warm, smoky oboe d’amore in the BWV 1055 (Alpha) over Glaetzner’s brighter, more forward tone. Perhaps this is being overly picky, but when there’s such abundance of good competition for those two works in the catalog, you can afford to be. However, this disc offers several items that others don’t (including the arrangement of the A minor violin concerto), an intelligent programming decision that, along with the solid performances, will make it an attractive acquisition for fans of Bach and the oboe.
