Catalogue

Summary:

“Ruiz brought his characteristic firm, yet sweet, singing tone to the music … His pinpoint oboe lines darted through the full-tilt solos.” – Wall Street Journal

“Ruiz’s imagination of what authentic Bachian oboe concertos might have been like is never merely academic, thanks to his characterful oboe-playing and the Portland Baroque Orchestra’s relaxed sparkle, whereby lightly jazzy personality, stylistic mastery and technical dexterity work hand in hand as equal artistic partners.an exceptional union of scholarly curiosity and excellent musicianship.” – Gramophone

In 2009, period-instrument oboist extraordinaire Gonzalo X. Ruiz joined Monica Huggett and her Ensemble Sonnerie in a recording of Bach’s Orchestral Suites which included a reconstruction of the Second Suite replacing the familiar flute solo with oboe, a premise soundly supported by the musicians’ research. The album went on to top the Billboard Classical Chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award. Gonzalo returns with an equally convincing recording of concertos commonly heard on keyboard, performing his own adaptations for oboe and oboe d’amore. He joins forces once again with Monica, this time with her Portland Baroque Orchestra. Upon hearing the beauty and virtuosity of Gonzalo’s playing it becomes easy to believe that Bach had the sound of the oboe in mind when composing these popular works.

Tracklist:

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750)

Concerto for Oboe in G minor, BWV 1056R
Reconstruction of BWV 1056, Concerto in F minor for Harpsichord
1. I. Moderato (3:10)
2. II Adagio (2:25)
3. III. Presto (Allegro) (3:13)

Concerto for Oboe in F major, BWV 1053R
Reconstruction of BWV 1053, Concerto in E major for Harpsichord
4. I. (Allegro) (7:05)
5. II. Siciliano (4:56)
6. III. Allegro (5:46)

Concerto for oboe in D minor, BWV 1059R
Reconstruction based on a concerto fragment and Cantatas 35 and 156
7. I. Allegro (5:12)
8. II. Adagio (2:26)
9. III. Presto (3:02)

Concerto for oboe d’amore in A major, BWV 1055R
10. I. [no tempo indicated] (3:56)
11. II. Larghetto (4:39)
12. III. Allegro ma non tanto (4:08)

Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C minor, BWV 1060R
Reconstruction of BWV 1060, Concerto in C minor for Two Harpsichords
13. I. Allegro (4:30)
14. II. Adagio (4:30)
15. III. Allegro (3:27)

16. Aria, from Cantata 51: “Höchster, mache deine Güte” (4:56)

Total duration: 67:21