Orchestral Suites BWV 1066 1069

Following their acclaimed recording of the Brandenburg Concertos, Sigiswald Kuijken leads his ensemble La Petite Bande in Bach's four Orchestral Suites. Kuijken has chosen to use an unusually small ensemble. Alongside the harpsichord, the continuo group consists of two violins, a bass instrument significantly larger than the baroque cello and which produces a more resonant sound due to it's larger body and thicker strings. What is especially remarkable about this recording, however, is the exclusive use of truly natural trumpets, without the auxiliary holes often present on instruments used in other so-called period instrument versions.