Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 | Claudio Abbado & the Orchestra Mozart

I say the following as a retired professional violist, teacher, cathedral choirmaster, organist and composer. What most people and musicians do not appreciate, especially most violists, is that the 6th here is and should be played, lightly; not digging into the strings like in romantic music. Rather, let the weight and rosin of the bow do all the work. In doing this, the violas speak clearly, cleanly and with ease. However, this is not easily done since the strings are thick and most violas do not speak and respond as easily or quickly as the violin or cello due to the viola not being a mathematically and acoustically correctly proportioned instrument. Since Bach loved playing the viola, he no doubt understood its limitations and beauty. Well done folks!!!

As a teenager I used to dance round my living room in joy to the 3rd movement

"If God had a voice, that would be Bach music" (Paulinho Nogueira, Brazilian composer)

Dude, as a violist who’s seen great players and studied with great players, these women SHRED. Idols.

A performance is always better if the artists involved are clearly enjoying the experience as much as the audience, and those two young ladies were obviously making the most of the viola getting the highlights. Brilliant performance.

Simply wonderful, simply beautiful, Bach is the heaven on earth.

No other musical instrument, bowed stringed or not, had many copies as the viola under designations: Alto in french, Bratsche in german, as well as, Viola Bowed, Viola “da Braccio” Viola Bastarda (Bariton) Viola d 'Amore (with sympathetic chords ) Viola “di Fagote” (with seven gut strings wrapped and sixteen more in steel that vibrate sympathetically) Viola "di Bordone”, Viola Marina (Violet) Viola “da Gamba”, Viola Tenor, Viola Contralto , Violone, Viola “Pentacorde” (five-stringed), Viola Descant, Viola “di Collo”, Viola “da Spalla”, and Viola Pomposa, in a succession of types and models, are names that were assigned to the instrument from its origin in the sixteenth century, as the heir stringed medieval Viola from Moorish origin. The first document on the instrument was quoted in the book "Regula Rubertina" authored by Ganassi del Fontego in 1543. In addition to this diversification language, justifying its popularity and importance at the time, was portrayed by Renaissance painters in the domes of the ceilings, in the altarpieces and frescoes in churches and cathedrals, ever in angelic conversation.

The instrumentation with two violas, instead of violins, gives this a special feeling, and I just adore how this group of musicians, Orchestra Mozart, also can handle Bach.

While all the Brandenburgs are special, #6 is my favorite. The unusual instrumentation (viola, viola da gamba especially) leads to a very rich sounding woven tapestry. And the 3rd movement is one the most joyous of the bunch. I especially like the harpsichordist on this version.

A lot of baroque composers experimented with different combinations of instruments but none of them had Bach's genius. Every one of his Brandenburg Concertos were for widely different combinations of instruments but keeping to the concerto format.This is a great performance of the last one, No 6.With two violas starring. Absolutely great.

Wow...Such a great performance, just beautiful! Imagine, all the hours of practise these musicians put in, to learn their instruments, then coming together in performing music written for a man (the Margrave of Brandenburg) who never bothered with it...They were never actually performed. The Margrave of Brandenburg stuffed them in a drawer and forget about them and they were not performed until they were rediscovered many years later. Thankfully we have amazingly talented people today who can keep this music alive and remind us of the great talent of Bach, the instruments and the people who play them. No 6 is my favourite, the first time I heard it, I felt it was so futuristic and dream like, it still does.

The play of the cello guy is just marvellous. It is a wonder. Talk about difficulty! And it makes it, just fine. This piece is a killer for the soloist, Bach would have been proud of all of them.

Food for the soul. Bach was above sublime... There was no one and there will be no one like him.

That Adagio second movement was played with such depth of emotion !

I was there. Wonderful

ビオラがソロ楽器として演奏される曲が少ないこともあるでしょうが、ビオラ演奏のお二人が楽しそうに演奏されていて素敵です。

No doubt the best live recording of the complete Brandenburg Concerto's I've ever listened to. So clear and perfect. It's a shame it took 14 years to reach Youtube to the best of my knowledge.

I never tire of watching this video. The musicians seem to be enjoying the supreme pleasure of playing as one; when it's time to get lyrical they get lyrical, when it's time to groove to the catch-me-if-you-can syncopations of the ritornello they do just that. And it's Bach... Humankind at its best.

I used to hear from my friends that a boring Brandenburg concerto No. 6 isn't like number 5 or 4 or even 1. But when I found out about it, I completely changed my mind and loved it!

Lebhafte und wunderschöne Aufführung dieses kompakten doch perfekt komponierten Konzerts mit seidigen doch gut phrasierten Tönen aller genialen Originalstreichinstrumente und zurückgehaltenem doch perfekt entsprechendem Klang des ebenso genialen Cembalos. Der zweite Satz klingt echt schön und auch lyrisch. Wahrlich ausgezeichnetes Barockensemble!