Search - Johann Sebastian Bach :: Bach: Die Kunst der Fuge [Hybrid SACD]

Don't expect jazzed-up Bach here. Although the New Century Saxophone Quartet swings in its own way, it's a thoroughly classical ensemble. The group's rationale for playing Bach is eloquently described in the microtype program notes, but you'll hear it for yourself on the CD. Bach never heard a saxophone, but the clarity, virtuosity, and restrained expressivity of this performance would probably have pleased him greatly. (Bach never specified his preference for instrumentation of this work.) Saxophones certainly aren't the only, or even the best, way to hear this music. But since it would benefit any music lover to hear "The Art of Fugue" as often as possible, this would be one excellent choice among several versions worth owning--and if you love the sound of saxophones, that's an added incentive, even though two pieces had to be omitted due to time limitions. This hybrid-SACD disc sounds just fine on a standard player, vividly recreating the group's live performance sound. --Leslie Gerber