Bach sonatas and keyboard

[badflautist]

Maybe this is just my ageing hearing, but what do others think? I have various (all period instrument) recordings of the Bach flute sonatas with obbligato keyboard, (harpsichord usually), and some of the violin ones.
On many of these, although the keyboard has a melodic part as important as that of the flute, it very often seems to be recorded at a lower level, as though it were just an unimportant accompaniment. These obbligato sonatas are surely essentially trios, yet one voice (flute) sounds present, while the other sounds much further away.
I have heard these in chamber concerts, with flute and harpsichord equally close, and I'm sure I recall a different effect.

Am I imagining this?

[prémont]

Maybe this is just my ageing hearing, but what do others think? I have various (all period instrument) recordings of the Bach flute sonatas with obbligato keyboard, (harpsichord usually), and some of the violin ones.
On many of these, although the keyboard has a melodic part as important as that of the flute, it very often seems to be recorded at a lower level, as though it were just an unimportant accompaniment. These obbligato sonatas are surely essentially trios, yet one voice (flute) sounds present, while the other sounds much further away.
I have heard these in chamber concerts, with flute and harpsichord equally close, and I'm sure I recall a different effect.

Am I imagining this?

No, you are not imagining anything at all.

The problem of instrumental balance in Bach's (trio-) sonatas for harpsichord and flute (or violin or viola da gamba) has always been a problem in recordings, with a strong tendency to suppression of the obligato right hand part of the harpsichordist. And when a viola da gamba is added for the bass part the problems just become bigger. It's for that reason that some recordings use an organ or fortepiano instead of a harpsichord.

[badflautist]

No, you are not imagining anything at all.

The problem of instrumental balance in Bach's (trio-) sonatas for harpsichord and flute (or violin or viola da gamba) has always been a problem in recordings, with a strong tendency to suppression of the obligato right hand part of the harpsichordist. And when a viola da gamba is added for the bass part the problems just become bigger. It's for that reason that some recordings use an organ or fortepiano instead of a harpsichord.

Well,  at least it's not just me. I do have a couple of sonatas with fortepiano, but it doesn't seem much different if the keyboard is still recorded at a lower level. Surely modern recording technology could reproduce what you hear in a moderate sized room with flute and harpsichord both about 15 to 20 feet away, rather than the latter sounding at least twice as far?
Does anyone know of a recording that gets closer to that (I have Kuijken, Besnosiuk, Preston)?

[Mandryka]

Has anyone recorded the flute sonatas with organ?

Anyway it's nice to be reminded of this music, I'm listening to Janet See and Davit Moroney right now - bliss!

[prémont]

Has anyone recorded the flute sonatas with organ?

Anyway it's nice to be reminded of this music, I'm listening to Janet See and Davit Moroney right now - bliss!

I stumbled upon these, but haven't investigated them yet. They play modern instruments.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9393884--bach-music-for-organ-and-flute-vol-1

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9512195--bach-music-for-organ-and-flute-vol-2

I also somewhere have a Danish recording (Classico) on modern instruments with a flutist Larsen (forgot the first name), and the organist is Viggo Kanding, who on the CD also plays BWV 565 in a rather convincing way.

[prémont]

Well,  at least it's not just me. I do have a couple of sonatas with fortepiano, but it doesn't seem much different if the keyboard is still recorded at a lower level. Surely modern recording technology could reproduce what you hear in a moderate sized room with flute and harpsichord both about 15 to 20 feet away, rather than the latter sounding at least twice as far?
Does anyone know of a recording that gets closer to that (I have Kuijken, Besnosiuk, Preston)?

I know these and have a number of other recordings, but I can't say that the balance is drastically better on those.

[badflautist]

I know these and have a number of other recordings, but I can't say that the balance is drastically better on those.

Do you know, is this a positive decision by recording engineers for some reason, or just a feeling that keyboard is merely a subordinate accompaniment to soloist even when, as here, it isn't?

[prémont]

Do you know, is this a positive decision by recording engineers for some reason, or just a feeling that keyboard is merely a subordinate accompaniment to soloist even when, as here, it isn't?

I have often wondered about this. Most of all I am surprised that the musicians accept it. Maybe it tells something about the producer's authority.

[badflautist]

I have often wondered about this. Most of all I am surprised that the musicians accept it. Maybe it tells something about the producer's authority.

Absolutely, if I were Pinnock or suchlike and had just played beautifully through BWV1030 and then heard myself hardly audible on the recording I wouldn't be happy. Maybe I just don't understand a musician that good.