The excitement and energy in this performance more than bear out the intriguing musicological theory that Bach originally conceived his Orchestral Suite No. 2 with a solo oboe rather than today’s universally heard flute. "In fact," says the superb baroque oboist Gonzalo X. Ruiz who arranged the works for this premiere recording, "recent examination of the four suites ... reveal that three of them have come down to us not in their original form but in later re-orchestrations. This recording presents the works in what I believe are their original versions. In the case of the Second Suite BWV 1067, I propose a new and I hope more convincing reconstruction of the original than other attempts of recent years.” Ruiz is partnered by world-renowned and award-winning baroque violinist Monica Huggett and her Ensemble Sonnerie, who have previously appeared on AVIE’s The World’s First Piano Concertos with David Owen Norris (AV 0014), Handel Trio Sonatas Op. 2 (AV 0033), and Handel Organ Concertos Op. 4 with Matthew Halls (AV 2055).
"...From her first-violin desk, Huggett leads the kind of stylish performances we would expect from her....The sound is lean, clean and lucid. For those who want to move beyond the numerous period-instrument recordings of the conventional suites, this disc is a recommended adventure."
Barker
