Brandenburg Concertos, 1-6
Better than most, Karl Richter knew that theBrandenburg  Concertosare serious fun and ought to be played that way. There is a sense  of joy in these wry readings, of something elevated but at the same time earthy  and jaunty and not too pious, that still delights after a quarter of a century-- and nowhere does one get a better feeling for the extraordinary efflorescence of  Bach's genius. The accounts are briskly paced and soloistic in approach, with  every participant freely involoved. While the intonation is at times a little  less than precise, the overall effect is delightfully fresh and musical; and the  recordings scarcely show their age.--Ted Libbey