The seeds were planted in the early 1970s when Deutsche Grammophon realised what amazing results could be achieved by recording the multi-channel tapes, with either four or eight channels. Yet, due to a few restrictions, they never fully blossomed. Flaws in the playback equipment meant that music connoisseurs were prevented from enjoying these recordings in the way that artists, producers, engineers and other professionals intended, even though recording technology was already way ahead of its time.

Now – over a quarter of a century later – thanks to the arrival of the multi-channel super audio CD, there is finally a system available which permits these precious recordings to be released in the quality they deserved back then.

As a result of Pentatone’s labour of love re-recording and re-mastering this release, we get to experience the pulsating rhythms of the Brandenburg Concertos, the instrumental vitality and the successful blend of the solo concerto with group concerto, which make them a true milestone in the history of the concerto.

The variety and uniqueness of their orchestrations also enable them to stand virtually alone in the entire sphere of baroque music. In them, J S Bach succeeded in marrying the greatest joy of music making with such learned forms as the fugue.