Plan B Forum

I have a cd of Glen Gould on harpsichord and Leonard Rose on cello for BWV 1027,1028,1029, Three Bach sonatas for harpsichord and VIOLA DA GAMBA.

That is not the same as a a cello. The two instruments are played in a similar fashion but have a different shape and the cello is not fretted, while the viola da gamba is, and has more strings.

Anybody know of a good (or even just decent) recording of these Bach sonatas on the instruments they were written for?

snailgate

There's one here: but as you say mostly they are done now with a cello.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrVTQMmhBnQ

Thanks Andy. As is noted in the comments with this you tube, the player has some demands that are not on the cello player: more strings, and the frets are not 'fixed' as on the guitar, but the player must adjust their location as well as tune tightening the strings. Sort of the way double reed players must learn to make their own 'mouthpiece'

snailgate.

There is a recording of those sonatas (and BWV 529) done by Jordi Savall and Ton Koopman, two giants of the world of baroque original instrument performance. Savall is probably the greatest living gamba player. I don't know that particular recording myself, but you can't go wrong with that pair. I have Savall's recordings of Marin Marais's Pieces de Viole, and they are outstanding. I always liked Marais for the gamba better than Bach anyway.

He's already got that one, Ray. Here, BP, try this:



I understand that there is another earlier recording of the same material by Savall &. Koopman, although I didn't see it on a quick youtube search.