The King’s Consort has re-recorded arrangements of Bach’s trio sonatas for organ BWV 525-530.

The original recording by King and his consort had become a favorite album of mine; it had been well recorded by the Hyperion engineers and was detailed yet warm. The musicians each did an admirable job, despite not being necessarily the superstars of the HIP movement.

I saw a video online recently of King talking about the re-recording; the musicians have all changed, save for King. Now they are recording on their own label, Vivat.

Joining King are Kati Debretzeni (probably well known as a member of John Eilot Gardiner’s English Baroque Soloists), Huw Daniel, Robin Michael, and Eligio Quinteiro. While my original recording was on CD, I’m enjoying this one at CD quality without a booklet (via Qobuz).

Sadly, I went back and forth multiple times, and could not escape the fact that the sound quality, putting the two upper lines in each sonata more front and center, were superior across the discs with their 1996 release on Hyperion. The oboe phrasing in BWV 527, I think, its a winner too, for me.

Since enjoying the original disc, many other ensembles attempted to do the same thing, which was to arrange these organ pieces for “true” trio sonata texture with two soloists with bass; despite some good renditions, King’s arrangements and instrument choices (violin, viola, oboe; organ and harpsichord for the continuo keyboard) were always superior.

The new recording puts the continuo instruments into tighter focus; however the violin (again auditioning BWV 527) is too much in the background for me; the oboe playing just can’t compete. The original recording captured more dynamic variation from the two treble voices.

In BWV 526, the last movement just lacks the drive that the earlier recording offered. The slow movement from BWV 530 in this new recording is considerably slower than what was on tap the first time around. I think the new tempo could work, especially with the two treble instruments leaning into the dissonances between the lines but again, it’s difficult in this album to make out a lot of contrast from the players, which might be an artifact of the recording/mastering.

Had this album come out anew without a predecessor under the same director, I would have suggested auditioning the version by London Baroque (BIS), the Brook Street Band (Avie) or the Palladian Ensemble (Linn). However while these are good and compatible efforts, I might put the Brook Street one in the lead with the clean, crisp recording, and technical moxie the group exhibits.

Sadly I can’t recommend the second recording by King. His first recording, if you can find it, is still the leader.