The Bach family have been coming in for a bit of attention in our concert halls lately. First the Australian Chamber Orchestra unwrapped a program of works by six of the dynasty, including Johann Sebastian himself, and now it is the turn of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra to turn the spotlight on this remarkable seven generations of musicians.

This latest tour marks the return of Japanese-American violinist Shunkse Sato as guest director, following his triumphant ABO debut six years ago when he performed Paganini’s finger-busting Violin Concerto No 4 in D Minor.

Shunske Sato and Emma Black with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, The Bachs, 2022. Photo © Keith Saunders

Sato, who now lives in the Netherlands, where he is artistic leader and concertmaster of the Netherlands Bach Society, explained to the audience how difficult it was to devise a recital covering such diverse musical styles over such a long period in history – the early 17th to late 18th centuries – and all in 90 minutes. But he succeeded, leading a fascinating and entertaining program, with two of JS Bach’s finest orchestral works at its core.

The undoubted highlight was, like...