Bob van Asperen, Melante Amsterdam - J.S. Bach: Concertos for Solo Harpsichord (2008)

Here once more are Dutch harpsichordist Bob van Asperen's early '90s recordings of the complete solo harpsichord concertos of J.S. Bach. Accompanied by the one-player-to-a-part Melante Amsterdam ensemble and recorded by Virgin, these were superb performances in their time and they still sound superb in this 2008 two-disc Virgin Veritas set. Trained under Gustav Leonhardt, Asperen is a light-toned but deeply expressive soloist who can tear into the D minor Concerto's demonic opening Allegro with diabolical sangfroid as well as soar through the F minor Concerto's sublime central Largo with ardent serenity. The small size of the accompanying forces makes these performances far more like chamber music than orchestral music, and the skill of the Melante Amsterdam musicians makes their ensemble playing far more like a jazz band than a classical orchestra. With Asperen's reconstruction of the "lost" D minor Concerto as a sort of appendix, this set should be heard by anyone who loves the music or the composer.