The universality of Bach’s music has been well established by the wide variety of ‘inauthentic’ treatments it has been subjected to over the years. The great majority, no matter how eccentric they may sound, can at least claim reverence and respect, dulling the cutting edge of hostile criticism; and that is how this recording should be approached.
The insert-note claims a link between baroque music and the Brazilian choro, a popular form whose name derives from that of the itinerant bands that first created and still play such music – but the exact nature of that link is not defined. The best known Bach-Brazil link is the Bachianas brasileiras of Villa-Lobos, but it is clear in only a few of these, and No 5 is in the form of an aria, not a choro. No matter, though, the Brazilian music on this album is most attractive in its own right. Bach’s music is played as it is affectionately heard through Brazilian ears – often underpinned by popular rhythms and very freely treated – with trimmings that Bach would have found strange. How else can one make each of the Two-part Inventions last for more than two minutes? One’s normal criteria must be put on hold and the mind cleared of preconceptions in order to enjoy what is on offer, a tribute that is at once sophisticated and unsophisticated.
The annotation is somewhat woolly but the performances are not. Camerata Brasil deploys an unfamilar assortment of instruments but they are played with enthusiasm and impeccable virtuosity – the deftness of the mandolinists and players of the cavaquinho (a four-stringed instrument of the ukulele family) is impressive. Enjoy it for what it is.'