Baroque Perfection: Stacy Plays Bach & Telemann for Naxos

Thomas Stacy has been English horn player with the New York Philharmonic for many years and has made many recordings while there. The praise for him from conductors, composers, and other critics today and of the past is all warranted. He has impeccable technique and musicianship, and I am always inspired by his playing. The Toronto Chamber Orchestra directed by Kevin Mallon is also stunning and impressive.

There cannot be a better recording of Telemann and Bach oboe d'amore concertos than this. They are close to perfection. Stacy is a professional musician with a refined sense of musical intuition coupled with affection for and an intimate understanding of the music and his instrument. Few musicians are such consummate artists.

Conductor Kevin Mallon leads a modern-instrument ensemble using period-instrument playing techniques. The result is a pleasant, light, rhythmically alert sound…that matches beautifully with American oboe d’amore master Thomas Stacy’s elegant playing. It is such a mellow sounding instrument, from which Stacy coaxes every possible shade of musicality…

Beguillingly performed on modern instruments with historical awareness, these affectionate interpretations of Baroque treasures make for ideal late-night listening.

The soloist here, Thomas Stacy, is principal cor anglais player with the New York Philharmonic and is, according to the notes, “the most recorded English hornist in the world”. He certainly does a good job with the material here. Note, though: he plays on a modern instrument, as do the Toronto Chamber Orchestra, though they are very well versed in Baroque style and technique.

The Bach works automatically seem more substantial, with Bach’s characteristic busy arguments in the openings of both…it’s very attractive music throughout, expertly played by musicians who clearly love this repertoire. The sound is very good…

These works are all quite familiar, and Mr. Stacy plays them with smooth, elegant phrasing and lovely tone.

Thomas Stacy, the New York Philharmonic's English horn player, turns to the instrument's relative, the oboe d'amore, with four delectable concertos for that instrument by Buxtehude and Bach. The sheer sound of the instrument, especially when played by an artist of Stacy's caliber, is irresistible, darker than an oboe and more rounded and textured than an English horn, making the gently lilting Adagio of Telemann's G major concerto a ravishing listening experience. Stacy's juicy tone also enhances these performances of the Bach works, reconstructed from the master's harpsichord concertos, themselves recyclings of cantata movements.