Etcetera Records: J.S. Bach — Keyboard Concertos, Gary Cooper / B'Rock Orchestra (Live) Audio CD

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Product Details:

• Product Type: Audio CD (Live Recording)
• Brand / Label: Etcetera Records
• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
• Soloist: Gary Cooper (harpsichord/keyboard)
• Orchestra: B'Rock Orchestra
• Genre: Classical, Baroque
• Style: Keyboard Concerto, Historically Informed Performance
• Catalog Number: KTC 1477
• UPC: 8711801014777
• Condition: Factory Sealed

Product Features

• Format: CD
• Discs: 1
• Tracks: 12
• Recording: Live
• Booklet: Liner notes in English, French, and German
• Packaging: Standard jewel case, factory shrink-wrapped

Overview

Four Bach keyboard concertos on a single live disc — played with the energy and spontaneity that a concert occasion brings, and recorded by the B'Rock Orchestra with Gary Cooper at the keyboard. The programme covers BWV 1052 (D minor), BWV 1053 (E major), BWV 1055 (A major), and BWV 1056 (F minor): a well-balanced selection that moves between the dramatic intensity of the D minor and the lyrical elegance of the A major and E major works.

Gary Cooper is a British harpsichordist and fortepianist with deep roots in the Baroque repertoire — a specialist, not a crossover name — and his playing here is direct and rhythmically clean. B'Rock is the Belgian period ensemble that has built a strong reputation for stylish, committed Baroque performances since the mid-2000s. Together they make for a tight, responsive partnership: the concertos feel like genuine conversation rather than soloist-plus-accompaniment.

The F minor Concerto BWV 1056 is short — under nine minutes total — but it contains one of Bach's most haunting slow movements, a Largo that barely moves and carries enormous weight. The D minor BWV 1052, which opens the disc, is the most substantial work here at nearly 24 minutes, with a final Allegro that builds considerable momentum. For collectors of Bach concertos on period instruments, this is a focused and well-executed account worth owning.

Interesting Facts

• Bach's keyboard concertos were largely composed or arranged during his years as director of the Leipzig Collegium Musicum (1729–1741), where they were performed at weekly concerts in Zimmermann's Coffee House.
• Most of the solo keyboard concertos are transcriptions of earlier works — BWV 1052 is generally believed to derive from a lost violin concerto, while BWV 1056 contains a slow movement that also appears as a sinfonia in Cantata BWV 156.
• Gary Cooper has served as artistic director of the Academy of Ancient Music and has recorded extensively for labels including Channel Classics and Virgin Classics; his specialization spans both harpsichord and fortepiano.
• B'Rock Orchestra, founded in Ghent in 2005, focuses specifically on Baroque and early Classical repertoire on period instruments; the ensemble has collaborated with conductors and soloists across Europe.
• The Concerto in D minor BWV 1052 is the most frequently performed and recorded of Bach's solo keyboard concertos, valued for its dramatic outer movements and intense chromatic slow movement.
• Etcetera Records is a Dutch independent label (etcetera-records.com) specializing in high-quality classical recordings, with a catalogue that leans toward chamber music and historically informed performance.

Track Listing

Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1052

1. Allegro — 7:34
2. Adagio — 6:26
3. Allegro — 10:00

Concerto in E Major, BWV 1053

1. Allegro — 7:52
2. Siciliano — 4:29
3. Allegro — 5:54

Concerto in A Major, BWV 1055

1. Allegro — 4:14
2. Larghetto — 5:00
3. Allegro Ma Non Tanto — 3:57

Concerto in F Minor, BWV 1056

1. Allegro Moderato — 3:18
2. Largo — 2:43
3. Presto — 3:03

Publishers

Released by Etcetera Records. Catalog reference KTC 1477.

A Bach collector's pick — heard it live or on disc? A short note helps other buyers decide.