"The third Brandenburg Concerto is a kind of demonstration. It is the only
demonstration concerto of that quintessential Italian Baroque instrument -
the violin. This may sound a little strange, but violas, celli and double
basses are nothing but enlarged violins. This string writing - it uses up
to nine parts - is so dense! I feel it radiates a southern fullness of
sound, a truly Italian feel. The violin is no doubt a southern instrument,
and in the last movement of this concerto you can hear the warm Adriatic
breeze very clearly." (Nikolaus Harnoncourt)
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, named after their dedicatee the Margrave
Christian Ludwig von Brandenburg, have been part of Nikolaus Harnoncourt's
permanent repertoire ever since he founded his Concentus musicus ensemble.
The ensemble has recorded them and played them on their tours throughout
the world. The impulse which led Harnoncourt to establish the Concentus
musicus in 1953 was his dissatisfaction with the traditional way of
interpreting early music. The uncommon and sometimes radically different
style of the Concentus musicus, as well as its exclusive use of historical
instruments, secured the ensemble its international reputation. Harnoncourt
introduces the concerto with a moving and fascinating analysis of the
piece. Interesting musical examples, which Harnoncourt inserts in a
humorous and relaxed manner, make this introduction an informative and
entertaining guide to this masterpiece of music. The production was filmed
in the historical Baroque monastery library in Wiblingen, Germany.
