Flute Concertos

"Rachel Brown gives performances it would be hard to better. Her agility and articulation are breathtaking."
***** Five Stars BBC Music Magazine (Oct 2001)

"Energetic and emotional flute concertos in treasurable performances by Rachel Brown."
Gramophone October 2001

'The performances are magnificent. Brown's technical command of her instrument is breathtaking … Only the loudest of cheers will do' (Goldberg)

'Enthralling music, perceptively played' (International Record Review)

'This is a recording to treasure and it is above all the sombrely meditative Largo con sordini of the A major concerto that stays in my memory' (Gramophone)

'Both Goodman's ensemble and Rachel Brown have the full measure of these quirkily passionate pieces' (The Times)

'Brown's playing makes a highly plausible argument for enjoying the richness and diversity of these pieces.' (BBC Record Review)

This sparkling recording of CPE Bach concertos follows Rachel Brown's highly acclaimed recording of Quantz concertos for Hyperion, also with The Brandenburg Consort under Roy Goodman's direction. Of Bach's five extant flute concertos the D minor may have been composed as early as 1747, the A major in 1753 and the G major in 1755.
For this recording, Bach's cadenzas for the 'Allegro di molto' of the G major and Largo of the A major concertos have been followed exactly, while Bach's beautiful harmonized cadenza for the Largo of the G major has been adapted a little more freely. A rich, mellow wide-bored Quantz-style flute, almost a whole tone below modern pitch, was used for the recording. A fortepiano was used for the continuo in the D minor concerto, and the discovery of horn parts for the outer movements of a harpsichord version of the D minor concerto proved too tempting to resist, hence their inclusion here.