The Leipzig Collegium, Vol. 1: Music before Bach, performed by the Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum under Reinhard Goebel, has been selected as BBC Music Magazine’s Choral Choice, earning an enthusiastic four-star review from critic Nicholas Anderson.
Praising the recording as “a stimulating programme of musical life before Bach,” Anderson highlights Goebel’s distinctive vision in exploring the rich and often-overlooked repertoire of 17th- and early 18th-century Leipzig. The review commends Goebel’s scholarly yet engaging approach, noting that his move from period to modern instruments has not diminished his deep understanding of Baroque style. Instead, his work with the Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum offers a fresh perspective on music that flourished before J.S. Bach’s arrival in Leipzig.
The programme brings together works by composers including Heinichen, Fasch and Telemann, presenting what Anderson describes as a “conjectural programme of orchestral suites and concertos” inspired by Leipzig’s musical life in the 1720s. He calls the selection “appealing” and praises it for containing “music by Johann Beer and Melchior Hoffmann,” including Hoffmann’s world-premiere recording of a suite that may have served as a model for Heinichen’s overture-suites.
The performances receive particular acclaim, with Anderson noting that “there are accomplished contributions from the solo recorder, oboes and horn players,” while also highlighting the ensemble’s stylish and professional musicianship throughout.
Describing the album as a welcome contribution to the rediscovery of neglected Baroque repertoire, BBC Music Magazine concludes that the recording successfully explores “untrodden paths” and confirms Reinhard Goebel and the Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum as compelling advocates for the vibrant musical world that existed before Bach.
To be released physically on standard CD and digitally on all platforms from July 31th. The full review appears in the August issue of BBC Music Magazine.
