This is the second complete recording of Bach's orchestral suites from the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. The first, dating from 1971, was reissued earlier this year at mid-price on Decca Jubilee; the new one was recorded in 1985. In his review of the Decca set RF remarked upon the liveliness and ebullience of the playing though he found some of the tempos a little too fast. The present versions do not sufficienty differ from the earlier ones in that respect to make much of a point of comparison, so I'll concentrate on features which provide greater distinctions between the two.
One of the most important of them lies in Marriner's more frequent use of appoggiaturas than previously. THis is all to the good, though I felt in the C major Suite, BWV1066, that they were overdone in quantity and executed with a little too much emphasis. It also seemed to me in this new recording that Marriner makes rather too great a point of extremes of contrast in dynamic shading, almost giving us the feeling that were he not to do so the music would appear repetitive. In the older version, on the other hand, there is a greater sense of naturalness in the playing and, perhaps, a greater sense of spontaneity—that is certainly so in the characteristic little harpsichord rappels played by the late. Thurston Dart in what must have been, sadly, his last recording. The performances on the new HMV release are certainly robust and lively but all too often lack the elegance, the poise and the light tread of the Decca set. This is particularly true of the first two suites where Decca courtliness has given way to a somewhat rougher EMI bonhomie. You have only to B minor Suite, BWV1067, to understand what I mean. William Bennett is the flute soloist on both occasions and though he is, perhaps, marginally more fluent in the new issue I prefer the phrasing of the older one; the Polonaise has become more deliberate and the Sarabande too lethargic. The tempo of the Badinerie is effective in both.
There is less to choose between the two versions where the D major Suites are concerned. They are new release scores over the older one if only because of the notably vivid recorded sound which enables the listener to enjoy Bach's immensely rich orchestral textures with greater facility. The famous Air from BWV1068, by the way, is played as a violin solo by Iona Brown in the new issue, whilst int he reissue it is treated as a ripieno movement. In general, rhythms are more crisply accentuated in the new set and this is particularly effective where the overtures themselves are concerned. Individual instrumental contributions in both set are of a high standard; I've already mentioned William Bennett and Iona Brown, but there are fine performances, too, from Celia Nicklin and Barry Davis (oboes) and Graham Sheen (bassoon) in the C major Suite of the HMV set.
Not as easy choice I'm afraid. I've enjoyed aspects of both releases and, as I have implied, there is a lightness and a sparkle in the Decca set which I found only intermittently in the new issue. Neither of them, I think, is likely to cause disappointment, though I am sorry to have to report an unacceptable drop in pitch between the Sarabande and the Bourrees of the B minor Suite in the Decca set. It would be worth correcting if possible since the fault was not present in the original issue so far as I can remember. Fine recorded sound and fine pressings from HMV.'