Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Nathan Milstein plays these magnificent pieces with patrician elegance, easily overcoming their all-but-insurmountable difficulties. His burnished tone has a warmth like that of mahogany, and his fine fingerwork and flawless bowing make for an assured connection of ideas. In the Chaconne to the D minor Partita--which can make even a very good violinist sound overmatched and inept--he zeroes in with the sort of concentration one usually sees in chess champions. Here, as elsewhere in the cycle, Milstein projects not only the music's emotive force, but Bach's grand architecture as well. And thanks to the "Originals" remastering, his sound is more burnished than ever. --Ted Libbey

Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, Music, Johann Sebastian Bach, Nathan Milstein, Chamber, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Violin Solo

Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin
Average customer rating:

Impeccable! The standard performance

I still like Millstein better

Very best Bach for solo violin

Evocative Therapy

Glenn Gould's violin counterpart

Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin

ASIN: B000001GXY
Release Date: 1997-04-15

Tracks:

Sonata no. 1 in G minor BWV 1001 - Adagio
Sonata no. 1 in G minor BWV 1001 - Fuga: Allegro
Sonata no. 1 in G minor BWV 1001 - Siciliana
Sonata no. 1 in G minor BWV 1001 - Presto
Partita no. 1 in B minor BWV 1002 - Allemanda
Partita no. 1 in B minor BWV 1002 - Double
Partita no. 1 in B minor BWV 1002 - Corrente
Partita no. 1 in B minor BWV 1002 - Double: Presto
Partita no. 1 in B minor BWV 1002 - Sarabande
Partita no. 1 in B minor BWV 1002 - Double
Partita no. 1 in B minor BWV 1002 - Tempo di Borea
Partita no. 1 in B minor BWV 1002 - Double
Sonata no. 2 in A minor BWV 1003 - Grave
Sonata no. 2 in A minor BWV 1003 - Fuga
Sonata no. 2 in A minor BWV 1003 - Andante
Sonata no. 2 in A minor BWV 1003 - Allegro

Tracks:

Partita no. 2 in D minor BWV 1004 - Allemanda
Partita no. 2 in D minor BWV 1004 - Corrente
Partita no. 2 in D minor BWV 1004 - Sarabanda
Partita no. 2 in D minor BWV 1004 - Giga
Partita no. 2 in D minor BWV 1004 - Ciaccona
Sonata no. 3 in C major BWV 1005 - Adagio
Sonata no. 3 in C major BWV 1005 - Fuga: Allabreve
Sonata no. 3 in C major BWV 1005 - Largo
Sonata no. 3 in C major BWV 1005 - Allegro assai
Partita no. 3 in E major BWV 1006 - Preludio
Partita no. 3 in E major BWV 1006 - Loure
Partita no. 3 in E major BWV 1006 - Gavotte en Rondeau
Partita no. 3 in E major BWV 1006 - Menuet I - Menuet II
Partita no. 3 in E major BWV 1006 - Bour
Partita no. 3 in E major BWV 1006 - Gigue

Customer Reviews:

Impeccable! The standard performance.......2007-04-20

Henryk Szeryng's "choked up", unembellished sound makes for a spot-on, highly profound and emotionally-charged interpretation. He really gets to the heart of the matter here that leaves all other performances of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas that I have heard in its wake.

I still like Millstein better.......2007-01-09

I have owned the Millstein recording on LP since ancient times. While Szering is excellent, I think Millstein has greater warmth and lyricism; his recording remains my first choice for these pieces.

Very best Bach for solo violin.......2006-04-10

It is not easy to meet a CD that listen over and over again these days. Recently I met it. When I listen the sample on the Amazon page the sound just caught me, "What is it?" "Different!".

Szeryng is not a present player, unfortunately he passed away for years ago. I am sorry I didn't know him until now. Because he spent his later life in Mexico, or he did not get a good manager, or he did not care about it, anyway he did not seem to get fame as he deserved it.

I like Bach solo violin set, especially the first sonata and the second partita. I have listened by some famouse violinists but I wonder I could meet beyond this in my rest of life.
In this CD, I love the first sonata, the first partita. Overall, the violin sound is brilliantly wonderful. I don't know why but when listening this CD the sound impresses me before music, that is not usual, I always care music before sound.

In Japan, his playing is often referred as great nobility or dignity, and he rarely makes mistakes, someone says the performance is like even silience after playing pleases me.

Evocative Therapy.......2005-10-30

Bach has always been a favorite and Szeryng an inspiration. I was a bit concerned with the Duetsche Grammaphone release, as I have heard many other artistical releases of dubious quality. But this one shines. I understand that Szeryng mastered these works very early in his career, his mastery is evident and haunting. A trip into the past, Szeryng shows his talent. It is such a blessing to be able to hear the masters performing masterworks, especially in the digital format that lends itself to hearing the whole release without interruption. It is most satisfying to retain that sort of connection with the music and the muscian.

Glenn Gould's violin counterpart.......2005-10-10

Szeryng's recording is outstanding. The main appeal of this recording for me was his ability to enunciate all the different voices of the Bach pieces. This is especially evident in his superb recording of the Chaconne. I am not surprised to see that many see this recording as close to Bach's text as possible. However, Szeryng has to do a lot of interpretation to get it to that state. If he was "only" sticking to the text, then why won't most other virtuosos follow this example? When I listen to Szeryng (this Bach recording over a thousand times), I never grow tired. It is true that when one first listens to it, it does not seem as remarkable as some other playings, but the beauty of Szeryng's playing is the purity and transcendence with which he plays Bach. Each measured, full and clear note rings with the heart-wrenching pathos evident in many of Bach's pieces.
Another advantage of Szeryng's recording is that he has pretty faithful tempo, no awkward pauses or lenghtenings for emotional effect. While this may render his playing seemingly unremarkable in the first few hearings, one quickly realizes the incredible richness and beauty. For example, if one reads Bach or plays Bach, one cannot help but imagine dramatic pauses, lengthenings, flourishes to fully convey the emotion that is in the pieces. However, when the piece is played literally to those "additions," the text is no longer pure Bach but a translated or filtered Bach. Any "emotional interpretation" of the listener is no longer based on Bach, but on that certain interpretation. Szeryng's virtuosity lies in his ability to play Bach faithfully and *beautifully, leaving the listener to appreciate and use the imagination. This, in my opinion after over a thousand listenings, is the reason why Szeryng has that lasting appeal.

J.S. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006

Average customer rating:

Julia Fischer performs J.S.Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
Thoughtful Readings
Bach by Julia Fischer
very good.
What a Surprise!

J.S. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006

Manufacturer: Pentatone
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00097HE8U
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Customer Reviews:

Julia Fischer performs J.S.Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin.......2007-05-07

In March I heard Julia Fischer playing Khachaturian's violin concerto at a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. She is such a wonderful violinist that soon after I got home I checked what other performance of hers would be available from Amazon. When I saw this CD I promptly ordered it. Because on this CD she plays without an orchestra, her virtuosity is even more obvious and superb than in the concertos where she is accompanied by a full orchestra. I recommend this CD to everybody who likes the violin music of J.S.Bach!

Thoughtful Readings.......2007-01-09

Bach's unaccompanied sonatas and partitas for solo violin can act as multiple litmus tests, mercilessly revealing a player's cultural, temperamental, intellectual, and technical selves. That is certainly the case with Julia Fischer's set. It shows her to be technically proficient and thoughtful in regard to the structures and, to some degree, the expressive (affective) content of these works. But it also tells the world that she is still a young artist, and that she may have more to say about this music -- and the temerity to say it -- after she's been around a while longer.

Listeners contemplating the purchase of yet another Bach Unaccompanied set will also have to look to their own tastes in deciding whether Fischer fits the bill. Have you long since acquired, and exhausted, the classic Milstein performances? Did you find Perlman nicely polished, or just a bit too slick? Did you respond well to Kremer's impetuosity and drama, or consider his approach overly rough and improvisatory?

In the liner notes, Ms. Fischer tells us that for years she has warmed up every day with these pieces. It shows. She is obviously familiar with them, and her technical security and sense of "what comes next" have benefited. But with familiarity comes a certain complacency, and warmups can encourage a performer to emphasize sheer mechanics: pitch accuracy, evenly smooth bowing, perfect finger coordination, etc. That is what I personally hear as a guiding principle in most of these interpretations. They are soft-edged, maintaining steady tempi, using the middle third of the bow, employing subtle and consistent accents, phrasing, and dynamic emphases.

Nothing wrong with those choices. In many aspects, they may lie closer than some others to what Bach had in mind. But I found myself respecting Fischer's efforts rather than becoming involved in the music itself. In the end I went back to Hilary Hahn's debut disc (which includes some but not all of these works) in order to hear controlled and thoughtful Bach performances with more passion, more bite (bowing at the frog when needed), and more overall humanity.

The SACD recording is quite good, but if anything it emphasizes the mellow, moderated quality of these performances with a violin timbre that is never unpleasant but seldom provides the range of colors that one might hope to hear, even in Bach. Especially in Bach?

I think Ms. Fischer is heard to better advantage in her Pentatone recording of the Russian concertos -- maybe she didn't feel a "Romantic" approach was as appropriate for Baroque music. The result sounds curiously old-fashioned, however, especially given the recent tendency in historically informed Baroque performance to emphasize drama and individualistic expression (e.g., Rachel Podger, Andrew Manze). By comparison, Julia Fischer's Bach comes off as a careful effort by a recent conservatory graduate. Still worth hearing, but perhaps more as an emblem of her undeniable promise.

Bach by Julia Fischer.......2006-08-04

You must listen to this with SACD kit to do justice to the recording. OK CD layer is not too bad but with sensitive equipment you can hear so much more with the SACD it is unbelievable.
She is one of the best performers of Bach solo pieces if not the best. Milstein, Kagan, Grumiaux, Perlman are good. But she is something else. Timing, fluidity, expression I can go on and on. This is the most "musical" interpretation of these pieces I have heard so far.

very good........2006-06-11

At first I was stunned on how good it was to listen to these pieces in a great format as SACD. However, miss Fischer should pay more attention to the details instead of get every note just right. There aren't huge mistakes, which makes it worthy, but it isn't perfect. The booklet says that she's quite young to perform all of this pieces and I believe it's true. She can improve in the future.

What a Surprise!.......2006-03-09

I never thought this young violinist could play Bach in such a matured way. My version at home was Milstein, Szegeti, Kremer (not very good), and Grumiaux. But Julia Fischer's Bach has won so much praise and I just wonder why. Therefore I bought this pricy double SACD (no ordinary CD available).

I was surprised. It doesn't sound like she is young at all. According to Fisher, she played Bach every day. And she has been studying Bach since she was a little girl. No wonder she has attended to the details of it. The speed she took was relatively slow, especially for the Preludes and Sarabande. Her technique was impeccable, but it all sounded so natural. I once listened to Heifitz and I didn't quite like it. It sounded not like Bach. Fisher surely captured the elegance and warmth of one of Bach's most intelligent and intellectual works.

If you like Bach's Unaccompanied Sonata and Partita for Solo Violin, buy this. You won't regret. The recording quality was superb, too!

Bach: Complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin

Average customer rating:

Grumiaux and Bach
My old favourite
Absolutely Essential
A somewhat clinical, "perfect" Bach
I remember....

Bach: Complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000417N
Release Date: 1994-02-15

Tracks:

Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001: Adagio
Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001: Fuga (Allegro)
Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001: Siciliana
Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001: Presto
Partita No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002: Allemanda
Partita No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002: Double
Partita No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002: Corrente
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Partita No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002: Sarabande
Partita No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002: Double
Partita No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002: Tempo di Borea
Double
Sonata No. 2 in A minor, BWV 1003: Grave
Sonata No. 2 in A minor, BWV 1003: Fuga
Sonata No. 2 in A minor, BWV 1003: Andante
Sonata No. 2 in A minor, BWV 1003: Allegro

Tracks:

Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004: Allamanda
Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004: Corrente
Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004: Sarabande
Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004: Giga
Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004: Ciaccona
Sonata No. 3 in C, BWV 1005: Adagio
Sonata No. 3 in C, BWV 1005: Fuga
Sonata No. 3 in C, BWV 1005: Largo
Sonata No. 3 in C, BWV 1005: Allegro Assai
Partita No. 3 in E, BWV 1006: Preludio
Partita No. 3 in E, BWV 1006: Loure
Partita No. 3 in E, BWV 1006: Gavotte en Rondeau
Partita No. 3 in E, BWV 1006: Menuet I-II
Partita No. 3 in E, BWV 1006: Bourre'e
Partita No. 3 in E, BWV 1006: Gigue

Amazon.com essential recording

Arthur Grumiaux was among the most elegant and refined violinists who ever recorded. This doesn't preclude his playing the famous Chaconne with lots of power, which he does. But it means hearing Bach with all technical difficulties minimized to give you a clear view of the music. Sometimes, as in Joseph Szigeti's late recordings (Vanguard Classics OVC 8021/2), there is a sense of struggle between the violin and the music that for more dramatic Bach. Grumiaux allows you to hear everything Bach put into the music, and it all sounds beautiful. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Grumiaux and Bach.......2006-08-31

I originally ordered Heifetz playing Bach's sonatas and partitas because I was learning the Chaconne, but because it was going to take a month to arrive, I ordered Grumiaux in the meantime. I have been so pleased with Grumiaux' smooth tone, his vibrato (never too much), his flawless chords, and his near perfect intonation, that although my Heifetz recording has since arrived, I still listen to Grumiaux much more.

My old favourite.......2006-06-28

These works are, for me, the highest possible achievement of violin music, and rank alongside the Cello Suites and the Well-Tempered Clavier as Bach's most meditative, introspective and spiritually profound works. They take you through a whole range of emotions and moods, and probably not coincidentally, like the Cello Suites, they end on a bright note, almost like the light of heaven shining down on you. Listening to the fugal movements is like being in a private cathedral of sound. And I say this without being a religious person in any way - this music is more personally spiritual, without being necessarily 'religious', like so many of Bach's vocal works.

I first heard these works performed by Menuhin (like Grumiaux, a student of Enescu), and though I retain a fondness for his recordings, I think Grumiaux's version is, all around, the best. I do agree with some of the other reviewers that Milstein can give a bit more passion, and I particularly like how the lower parts of the counterpoint are often more audible in Milstein (for instance, in the beginning bars of the D-Major section of the Chaconne - which is less accented in the Grumiaux), but I personally don't like Milstein's steely tone that much, and Bach sometimes sounds too much like hard work in his versions. In contrast, Grumiaux's tone is much warmer, I find, though he can put on the power very well whenever it's needed, and his playing is so effortless, one is able to really appreciate the beauty and profundity of Bach's works.

I'm very partial to period interpretations normally, and having now acquired Rachel Podger's recordings, I prefer those in many aspects; but on the whole, I find Grumiaux better than the other 'authentic' performance I've heard, that of Kuijken. Grumiaux IS old-fashioned, but he avoids the excesses of most of the others of his generation (even Menuhin takes some movements - like the third of the G-Minor - so slowly, it's impossible to remember it's a dance-movement!), and plays something that seems, to me, to be very much something in the spirit of Bach, even if not entirely 'authentic'. As Manze has said, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with playing Bach on modern instruments - the music is truly universal! Even though on a few points here and there I do prefer other recordings, overall, I find Grumiaux's is simply the best - and I think definitely the best introduction to this awe-inspiring music.

Absolutely Essential.......2006-01-24

This is one of those recordings that belongs in everyone's classical collection from the beginning. It is without a doubt one of the most heartfelt, achingly beautiful, and totally masterful recordings ever made. There is simply nothing more to say.

Anyone who has it knows- and everyone who doesn't needs to.

A somewhat clinical, "perfect" Bach.......2005-05-17

These sonatas and partitas are among my favorite Bach works, alongside the Goldberg Variations. I've heard most of the great recordings of these suites by the great violinists, including this version by Grumiaux. My favorite rendition remains the 50s EMI survey by Nathan Milstein (not the DG version from the 1970s).

Now, Grumiaux stands tallest with me for his recordings of the Bach violin concertos and the famous double violin concerto, as well as his sublime version of the six violin/harpsichord sonatas (this is my favorite Grumiaux recording, and a "desert island recording" for me...an absolute must-have for anyone). For those, Grumiaux is unmatched in my opinion. But, in those cases, he has accompaniment that he must interact with. In these unaccompanied violin works, he has a subtle detachment. For an example, listen to the opening Grave movement from Sonata 2, and especially the Andante (movement 3) of Sonata 2. Grumiaux's technique is flawless, and he is almost at that magic threshold. Then, listen to Milstein play that Andante from the EMI 50s recording. You will hear exactly what I am talking about, something a bit too ineffable to put into words, but something you can hear. Given the fact that Grumiaux has recorded my favorite versions of Bach's other violin works, as I've mentioned above, this criticism was difficult for me to make.

I'm not suggesting a bombastic, romanticized account of these suites. Milstein finds the perfect balance (in his 50s version) between reverence of Bach and technical mastery. You feel every note of the music as it comes from Bach, and the depth of insight is extraordinary. Grumiaux captured that with his other recordings that I've mentioned above, but in these solo suites, there is a depth of feeling that is lacking. He's obviously more concerned with perfect form and cleanliness of line than he is with probing the music for its innermost secrets. Milstein achieves this, but on the EMI set from the 1950s, not the DG set from the 70s, where I think that Milstein also fell short.

It IS possible to have perfect form and cleanliness of line without sacrificing feeling. Milstein found that magic compromise in the 1950s on EMI. The words I always use after hearing the 50s Milstein are "intimacy" and "insight." His insights are so profound. Grumiaux's survey has impeccable sound quality, played on a gorgeous instrument, with flawless technique in the elegant style. Still, it doesn't get to the heart of this music. It's "perfect," but it doesn't speak to me.

I remember...........2005-05-16

One of those CDs you grow up listening to -- introducing one's soul to the beauty that is Bach. I remember buying this CD on a whim since it was so cheap the summer before heading to High School at a Sam Goodies -- it totally just restructured everything I knew about music. There is nothing like this recording out there. Seriously, buy it for your kids, and introduce them to "true love". It is what anyone if they listen carefully to this CD will realize is the essence to Arthur's playing.

Bach: Cello Suites, Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin - Christian Tetzlaff & Ralph Kirshbaum (4 CD's)

Average customer rating:

Excellent overall
Wonderful
Unbelievable!

Bach: Cello Suites, Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin - Christian Tetzlaff & Ralph Kirshbaum (4 CD's)
Christian Tetzlaff , Ralph Kirshbaum , and Johann Sebastian Bach
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00030FJ9Y
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Tracks:

1. Adagio - Christian Tetzlaff
2. Fuga (Allegro) - Christian Tetzlaff
3. Siciliana - Christian Tetzlaff
4. Presto - Christian Tetzlaff
1. Allemanda - Christian Tetzlaff
Double - Christian Tetzlaff
2. Corrente - Christian Tetzlaff
Double (Presto) - Christian Tetzlaff
3. Sarabande - Christian Tetzlaff
Double - Christian Tetzlaff
4. Bourree - Christian Tetzlaff
Double - Christian Tetzlaff
1. Grave - Christian Tetzlaff
2. Fuga - Christian Tetzlaff
3. Andante - Christian Tetzlaff
4. Allegro - Christian Tetzlaff

Tracks:

1. Allemanda - Christian Tetzlaff
2. Corrente - Christian Tetzlaff
3. Sarabanda - Christian Tetzlaff
4. Giga - Christian Tetzlaff
5. Ciaccona - Christian Tetzlaff
1. Adagio - Christian Tetzlaff
2. Fuga - Christian Tetzlaff
3. Largo - Christian Tetzlaff
4. Allegro Assai - Christian Tetzlaff
1. Preludio - Christian Tetzlaff
2. Loure - Christian Tetzlaff
3. Gavotte En Rondo - Christian Tetzlaff
4. Menuet 1/Menuet 2 - Christian Tetzlaff
5. Bourree - Christian Tetzlaff
6. Gigue - Christian Tetzlaff

Tracks:

1. Prelude - Ralph Kirshbaum
2. Allemande - Ralph Kirshbaum
3. Courante - Ralph Kirshbaum
4. Sarabande - Ralph Kirshbaum
5. Menuet 1 & 2 - Ralph Kirshbaum
6. Gigue - Ralph Kirshbaum
1. Prelude - Ralph Kirshbaum
2. Allemande - Ralph Kirshbaum
3. Courante - Ralph Kirshbaum
4. Sarabande - Ralph Kirshbaum
5. Bourree 1 & 2 - Ralph Kirshbaum
6. Gigue - Ralph Kirshbaum
1. Prelude - Ralph Kirshbaum
2. Allemande - Ralph Kirshbaum
3. Courante - Ralph Kirshbaum
4. Sarabande - Ralph Kirshbaum
5. Gavotte 1 & 2 - Ralph Kirshbaum
6. Gigue - Ralph Kirshbaum

Tracks:

1. Prelude - Ralph Kirshbaum
2. Allemande - Ralph Kirshbaum
3. Courante - Ralph Kirshbaum
4. Sarabande - Ralph Kirshbaum
5. Menuet 1 & 2 - Ralph Kirshbaum
6. Gigue - Ralph Kirshbaum
1. Prelude - Ralph Kirshbaum
2. Allemande - Ralph Kirshbaum
3. Courante - Ralph Kirshbaum
4. Sarabande - Ralph Kirshbaum
5. Bourree 1 & 2 - Ralph Kirshbaum
6. Gigue - Ralph Kirshbaum
1. Prelude - Ralph Kirshbaum
2. Allemande - Ralph Kirshbaum
3. Courante - Ralph Kirshbaum
4. Sarabande - Ralph Kirshbaum
5. Gavotte 1 & 2 - Ralph Kirshbaum
6. Gigue - Ralph Kirshbaum

Customer Reviews:

Excellent overall.......2006-03-28

The two works presented in this bargain set represent Johann Sebastian Bach's greatest contribution to the solo string reportoire.

Although usually marginalized, the Cello Suites are hidden diamonds in the solo literature, requiring a depth of humanity and musicality that few performers actually achieve, so concerned as they are with simply hacking away at this seemingly simple music. Kirshbaum's reading is full of warmth and power, and his instrument (from Bach's time period) sings almost of its own accord. Tempi are just right; the sense of pacing in the G Major Prelude is magnificent, giving the piece a gently rocking feel. Kirshbaum's double stopping (as called for by many of the Allemanda movements) is impeccable and very clean; the harsh, biting sound such double-stopping requires from other performers is not present here.

The focal point of the set is, of course, Christian Tetzlaff's reading of the Six Solos. In comparison with the "big names," such as Perlman, Milstein, and Grumiaux, Tetzlaff cannot quite compete. His tempi are exceedingly swift, and he lacks much of the humanity present in Milstein and Menuhin. As a result, the quicker movements, such as the E Major Preludio and the B minor Doubles, sound less like the masterpieces they are and more like simple etudes to be sawed away on.

Tetzlaff's traversal of the Chaconne, however, is a breathless, exciting journey, and he is in top form during the massive fugues in each sonata. The recording location, while resonant, allows the violin's sound to sing without losing it in a sea of reverb. Although he suffers from tempi issues, Tetzlaff's technique is never in doubt, and he is solid and secure (perhaps even a bit too secure) during this recording.

Overall, despite issues with tempi in the Six Solos, this set is a great bargain, and hopefully Tetzlaff will decide to record these pieces again later in life.

Wonderful.......2006-01-10

I've been listening to and studying Bach's solo cello and violin works for over 30 years. Although I love this music dearly, it's rare that I'm surprized by it anymore. However, listening to Tetzlaff and Kirshbaum, I felt as if I were hearing them for the first time all over again. Both musicians are such masters of their instruments that their "technique" never intrudes on the music. These are really breathtaking performances.

Unbelievable!.......2005-10-19

Both these artists are exceptional. I have always had trouble listening to "anybody else's interpretation" of the bach cello suites, being a cellist myself. This one is truly outstanding. The excellent Bach solo violin interpretation by Christian Tetzlaff is just an added plus -- I was most impressed that my father listened through all the way and just made one or two comments about how the music was "alive". He was rapt. My father doesn't do that easily.

Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin

Average customer rating:

Wow!!
...

Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin

Manufacturer: Analekta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Wieniawski, Sarasate
Mozart: Violin Concertos
Bach: Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord Vol. 1

ASIN: B00004Z3J9
Release Date: 2007-04-05

Tracks:

Sonata I In G Minor, Bwv 1001 / Sonate No.1 En Sol Mineur, Bwv 1001
Partita I In B Minor, Bwv 1002 / Partita No.1 En Si Mineur, Bwv 1002
Sonata Ii In A Minor, Bwv 1003 / Sonate No.2 En La Mineur, Bwv 1003
Partita Ii In D Minor, Bwv 1004 / Partita No.2 En Re Mineur, Bwv 1004
Sonata Iii In C Major, Bwv 1005 / Sonate No.3 En Do Majeur, Bwv 1005
Partita Iii In E Major, Bwv 1006 / Partita No. 3 En Mi Majeur, Bwv 1006

Customer Reviews:

Wow!!.......2007-04-01

James Ehnes, who I had never heard of previously, was the solo violinist when I went to the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. He was playing a piece from Bach's 3rd Symphony, I believe. My date and I were blown away by James. He was absolutely amazing, that's as close as I can get to describing. A few days later, I found a few of James' CDs and picked this particular album because it is Bach. It's wonderfully beautiful and still amazing. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the violin or Bach. If you love both, even better. If you get the chance to do so, see and hear James live. Truly truly...wow!

..........2006-07-27

This may not be a particularily well-known recording of Bach's unaccompanied violin works, unlike the epic recordings by Milstein and Heifitz, but James Ehnes truly presents a mature reading that is worthy of comparison.
James Ehnes plays with a very rich tone. He truly gets to the core of the sound and the digital recording quality really helps to bring this out. One cut that is particularily well-played in my opinion is the fugue from the C major Sonata. Despite the difficult double/triple stop patterns, Ehnes plays with perfect intonation and makes it seem effortless. The amount of control that he has over his instrument is incredible. He is able to phrase even the most difficult passages beautifully.

Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin

Average customer rating:

Heavenly
the best Bach sonatas
Authoritative
The EMI version from the 50s is the definitive
Overwhelming

Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin
Bach: Sonatas for Unaccompanied Violin
Bach: Partitas
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas
Bach: 6 Suiten für Violoncello solo

ASIN: B000001H00
Release Date: 1998-02-10

Tracks:

Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 1. Adagio
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 2. Fuga. Allegro
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 3. Siciliana
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 4. Presto
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 1. Allemanda
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 2. Double
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 3. Corrente
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 4. Double. Presto
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 5. Sarabande
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 6. Double
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 7. Tempo di Borea
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 8. Double
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 1. Grave
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 2. Fuga
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 3. Andante
Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin: 4. Allegro

Tracks:

Partita No.2 D-minor BWV 1004: Allemanda
Partita No.2 D-minor BWV 1004: Corrente
Partita No.2 D-minor BWV 1004: Sarabanda
Partita No.2 D-minor BWV 1004: Giga
Partita No.2 D-minor BWV 1004: Ciaccona
Sonata No.3 C Major BWV 1005: Adagio
Sonata No.3 C Major BWV 1005: Fuga
Sonata No.3 C Major BWV 1005: Largo
Sonata No.3 C Major BWV 1005: Allegro Assai
Partita No.3 E Major BWV 1006: Preludio
Partita No.3 E Major BWV 1006: Loure
Partita No.3 E Major BWV 1006: Gavotte En Rondeau
Partita No.3 E Major BWV 1006: Menuet 1
Partita No.3 E Major BWV 1006: Menuet 2
Partita No.3 E Major BWV 1006: Bourree
Partita No.3 E Major BWV 1006: Gigue

Amazon.com

Nathan Milstein plays these magnificent pieces with patrician elegance, easily overcoming their all-but-insurmountable difficulties. His burnished tone has a warmth like that of mahogany, and his fine fingerwork and flawless bowing make for an assured connection of ideas. In the Chaconne to the D minor Partita--which can make even a very good violinist sound overmatched and inept--he zeroes in with the sort of concentration one usually sees in chess champions. Here, as elsewhere in the cycle, Milstein projects not only the music's emotive force, but Bach's grand architecture as well. And thanks to the "Originals" remastering, his sound is more burnished than ever. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Heavenly.......2007-05-18

Imagine hearing this recording of Nathan Milstein playing Bach's Chaconne over the sound system of the San Francisco Opera House! The San Francisco Ballet used this recording for the piece "Artifact Suite" for Muriel Maffre's Farewell Gala on May 6, 2007. The only way to describe the beauty of Milstein's performance is "heavenly". Such a musical treat on top of an evening of world-class dance was an unexpected delight.

the best Bach sonatas.......2006-07-30

After first hearing Milstein play these sonatas, I took the advice of some friends and bought the Heifetz and Szerzyng renditions for comparison. Although technically brilliant, I think Milstein stands out above the rest because--how best to put this?--because he loves every single note, and beautiful ones that Heifetz and Szerzyng for some reason speed past Milstein lifts up with exquisite care and tenderness to show us how sublime. In my book, Bach never had a better interpreter than Milstein.

Authoritative.......2006-03-28

Milstein's playing of these incredible pieces is overflowing with a patrician elegance balanced by his own style of almost "fiddling." The Stradivarius he utilizes is a happy balance between the resonant power of today's modern instruments with the warm, natural sound highly prized in Baroque violins.

His tempi are never too fast or too slow, and he has a magnificent sense of pacing throughout the great Chaconne. Because of his background in performance, Milstein's technique blends classical aristocracy with the soulful bends and vibrato of the Gypsy fiddle style. The result is a recording of the Six Sonatas and Partitas that captures them in all their technical accuracy, while reaching a depth of humanity rarely seen in other recordings. Milstein's 'Six' form an organic whole, not just a collection of pieces that happen to be placed together on a disc (unfortunately, many modern recordings of the solos feel exactly that way).

Milstein's unique intonation gives his interpretation a highly earthy and personal quality. Not to be missed.

The EMI version from the 50s is the definitive.......2005-05-17

Bach is my favorite composer, and of all Bach's works, the Goldberg Variations, and these solo violin sonatas/partitas, are my "desert island" works. I've listened to many recordings of these sonatas/partitas, from Yehudi Menuhin to Jascha Heifetz, Grumiaux, Perlman, Podger, and others. Milstein's survey from the 1950s on EMI stands as my favorite, in comparison with his DG rendition in the 1970s.

I had a conversation with one of the editors of the Penguin guide about these recordings, and Milstein was also his favorite, but he preferred the 70s DG version for reasons of sound quality and technical brilliance. I countered that the EMI Milstein set from the 50s was superior for the depth of insight brought to these pieces. Nathan Milstein was in his absolute prime when he first recorded this survey in the 50s. His insights into Bach are pure, with the required delicacy in slow movements, the right touch of silence here and there to let the music breathe, without being CONSPICUOUSLY slow, such as the Perlman set, which tends to drag at times. His fugues are perfectly light on their feet, his rhythms perfectly sprung, without making it a horse race. In short, Milstein stays out of the way of Bach in every moment of the EMI set, and we are face to face with the composer. But in this DG set from the 1970s, Milstein seems to be rushing through some passages (as does Grumiaux), with more regard for "technical brilliance" as the Penguin editor cited, instead of pure musicality and reverence of Bach. I have listened to both Milstein versions, and this DG recording simply does not reach down into the depths of Bach in the same way.

The Jascha Heifetz rendition is also outstanding, but when you listen to it, you know that it's about Heifetz, not so much about Bach. Now, Heifetz was indeed the best of the best, in terms of his technical mastery. The one segment where Heifetz wins me over from everyone else is in the mighty Chaconne from Partita 2. In this Mount Everest of solo violin, Heifetz takes you on an exhilarating ride that leaves you speechless. I have never heard the Chaconne played with such fearless power and confidence than from Heifetz. For that one segment alone, I bow to him above all others. He was indeed the best.

But Heifetz himself always heaped praise upon Nathan Milstein, which was exceedingly rare. Heifetz never praised anyone! Heifetz always demanded that his students go to see Milstein perform. If his students didn't go, they'd be in trouble! So Milstein certainly commanded a great deal of respect from Heifetz. And when you hear Milstein play the mighty Chaconne, he almost has the supreme technical mastery of Heifetz. Not quite, but almost. However, once again, when you hear the Heifetz version, you are hearing Heifetz, the master. When you hear the (50s EMI) Milstein version, you are hearing Bach.

I invite the listener to compare one specific movement between these two Milstein versions, and then make their own decision. Listen very carefully to the opening Grave movement from Sonata 2 in A Minor. Compare and contrast the depth of insight in the 50s version on EMI, and the 70s version on DG. You will most likely come to the same conclusion as I did after making my own comparison. Then compare other movements throughout the set, but start with that one. For me, there is no doubt. The 50s set is pure, unadulterated Bach at its finest. No other violinist came closer to the heart of this beautiful music than Milstein did in the 1950s. Even HE didn't get as close to it when he remade this music later in his life. And by the way, in terms of sound quality, the EMI set from the 50s is perfect! There is no cavernous reverb, just the pure unadulterated sound of Milstein's violin, so clean and clear that he is right there in the room with you. The two words I always come away with after listening to the 50s Milstein set on EMI are "intimacy" and "insight."

Overwhelming.......2005-05-06

Having heard these pieces a million times by various artists, I purchased the Milstein set. Upon receiving it, my wife suggested going straight to the center of the oreo cookie and listen to the chaconne from partita #2.

After sitting quietly for 14 minutes in stunned silence listening to Milstein saw away at one of the most gorgeous sounding violins these ears have ever heard, we looked at each other and said absolutely nothing.
At that moment it was clear that we had witnessed something truly miraculous. Such absolute control over this collosal work has rarely been heard. Most violinists struggle to move heaven and earth while negotiating the considerable difficulties involved but Milstein plays as though he's got technique to burn, like a Ferrari doing 25mph in a school zone.

Since then, I've obviously heard the entire album and although I must admit it is not my favorite recording, it is by far one of the most powerful and moving accounts on disk. The reason it is not my favorite is because I prefer a smaller sound and less drama in my Bach, a personal preference that all may not share. Listening to Milstein play Bach, as opposed to say, Aaron Rosand, is like listening to Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra as opposed to say, Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music. Hearing Ormandy's ultra-lush, romantic sounding Bach or Handel is just plain wrong, I tell myself, yet it is a delightful indulgence comparable to eating a 16 ounce bar of my wife's finest swiss chocolate, a sin I've been guilty of.

By the way, don't tell my wife I said that. She may take away my Milstein, just to even the score.

Highly Recommended Bach.
Enjoy.

Bach: Complete Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo

Average customer rating:

Every listen brings a smile
Fine Performance of a Great Work
Bright, articulate and intelligent
The Ideal Version
Simply incredible!

Bach: Complete Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo
Johann Sebastian Bach , and Rachel Podger
Manufacturer: Channel Classics Nl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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J.S. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006

ASIN: B00006JQU1
Release Date: 2002-11-12

Customer Reviews:

Every listen brings a smile.......2007-06-06

Whilst there's no definitive solo violin Bach recording - and there never will be - RP is an absolute must have to anyone wishing to explore the mystics of Bach.

So frequent are the timbre adjustments within each phrase, in every solo - I can't help but wonder how long Rachel pondered how she wanted these recordings to sound - was it years or decades.

Whilst it is true that the baroque violin (equiped with gut strings) provides an unexpected resonance - within a minute, i'd forgotten the different violin sound - and was mesmorised by how easy Rachel makes these solos sound. a beautiful interpretation that one no classical music lover should go without.

Fine Performance of a Great Work.......2007-05-25

There is little I can add to the glowing reviews already posted. I think Rachael Podger a very fine fiddler and I own a number of her recordings.
Here I feel that she plays Bach with love and a deep affection, it is much more than a demonstration of technical ability. I have never been able to get that feeling with Grumiaux's version which I find harsh and mechanical, whereas I find his playing of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, in particular their chamber music, excellent. Ms Podger and her baroque violin are superb; 5 stars.

Bright, articulate and intelligent.......2007-02-02

This is a powerful performance. Rachel Podger's sound as recorded with crystalline brilliance here, paints a multi-layered yet clear, colorful and flowing landscape of these beautiful pieces. Her equal attention to the depth and width of her sound as manifested in the care given to every clearly-phrased note to create a cohesive whole, is what I imagine would have made Bach himself stand up and take notice of her intelligent, well-rounded interpretation. Rachel Podger is reminiscent of Glenn Gould in her ability to flesh out Bach's genius with a technique that relies mainly on precision and clarity to create a soulful, playful but knowing sound that is a delight to listen to.

The Ideal Version .......2006-12-17

I have bought a few other versions of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas, including two period-instrument versions, but none has satisfied me as has Rachel Podger's. I am struck first of all by the immense beauty of her 1739 Genoese violin, which is especially mellow and rich in the D and G strings. All the elements of her interpretation - the variety of articulations she employs, her feeling for polyphony and for the logical flow of Bach's ideas - are bathed in a beautiful, sweet, silky tone, free from the astringency of some baroque players; it is almost as if she is the baroque violinist for listeners used to a more "traditional" approach. The startling commendations I had heard about this release ("the finest recordings of these works I've ever heard" - National Public Radio) made me want to order it. I can now say that after a long time searching for the perfect version of unaccompanied Bach, I have finally found it. It is the only version that now sits on my CD shelf.

Simply incredible!.......2006-10-10

Miss Podger is showing her incredible virtuoso here that actually provokes the intellectual depth of JSB's music. Plus, the sound is of premium quality here. Itzhak Perlman will too be amazed if he'd hear this.

Average customer rating:

Enescu's Sublimely Communicative Solo Bach
Revelatory!
Soulful and Utterly Convicted Playing
Enescu re-creates the locus for Bach's Sonatas and Partitas
A Seemless Robe

Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin

Manufacturer: Classica D'oro
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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J.S. Bach: 6 Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo
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ASIN: B000065UNG
Release Date: 2002-05-07

Tracks:

Sonata No.1 In G Minor, BWV 1001: Adagio
Sonata No.1 In G Minor, BWV 1001: Allegro
Sonata No.1 In G Minor, BWV 1001: Siciliano
Sonata No.1 In G Minor, BWV 1001: Presto
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Allemande
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Double
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Courante
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Double
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Sarabande
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Double
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Bourree
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Double
Sonata No.2 In A Minor, BWV 1003: Grave
Sonata No.2 In A Minor, BWV 1003: Fuga
Sonata No.2 In A Minor, BWV 1003: Andante
Sonata No.2 In A Minor, BWV 1003: Allegro

Tracks:

Partita No.2 In D Minor, BWV 1004: Allemande
Partita No.2 In D Minor, BWV 1004: Courante
Partita No.2 In D Minor, BWV 1004: Sarabande
Partita No.2 In D Minor, BWV 1004: Gigue
Partita No.2 In D Minor, BWV 1004: Chaconne
Sonata No.3 In C, BWV 1005: Adagio
Sonata No.3 In C, BWV 1005: Fuga
Sonata No.3 In C, BWV 1005: Largo
Sonata No.3 In C, BWV 1005: Allegro Assai
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Preludio
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Loure
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Gavotte En Rondeau
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Menuet I & II
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Bourree
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Gigue

Customer Reviews:

Enescu's Sublimely Communicative Solo Bach.......2005-06-21

This 2-disc set of Bach's Six Solo Violin Sonatas & Partitas deserves a 10-star rating. In some 40 years of collecting, I have never encountered anything that transcends what is heard here. This is quite simply some of the most supremely communicative solo playing of ANY composer's music by ANY instrumentalist.

Georges Enescu (1881-1955) was an extraordinary musician. One of the last century's most gifted composers, his works go far beyond the Two Romanian Rhapsodies for which he is most popular today. One of the greatest violinists of all time, Enescu was also a brilliant conductor: his Schumann 2nd Symphony on a Dutton CD (see my review) is one of the all-time great accounts, and there is also a phenomenal "live" Tchaikovsky 4th Symphony that was once available on a Dante LYS CD. The great pianist Alfred Cortot once admitted that Enescu's piano proficiency was superior to his own. Enescu was also blessed with a photographic memory (he knew most Western musical masterpieces, including some 150 Bach Cantatas, by heart).

The excellent essay by Lawrence Cosentino that accompanies this CD set relates that "Enescu's student Yehudi Menuhin called him 'the most extraordinary human being, the greatest musician and the most formative influence I have ever experienced.' Pablo Casals said he was the most phenomenal musical talent since Mozart.... The many tales of his boundless energy and facility simply boggle the mind. Once, as part of an impromptu lesson for an enthralled Amadeus Quartet, he sat down at a piano for several hours and played all of the Beethoven string quartets, with running commentary, off the top of his head."

These sublime Bach recordings were among the last Enescu ever made. Even in his late sixties and suffering from arthritis, Enescu retained a sovereign technique. Here and there is some imperfect intonation and a few signs of strain, but these are little more than tiny imperfections in a Grand Master painting. I have owned numerous sets of Bach's solo violin works over the years, but none of them (even Johanna Martzy's extremely secure readings on EMI) are a match for the profoundly musical insights of this one. Only the recordings left by Adolf Busch (incomplete) and Joseph Szigeti even approach the level set here by Enescu.

These recordings were made in 1949 for Don Gabor (proprietor of the fabled Remington LP label), and they were issued on an incredibly rare 3-LP set on the Continental LP label (also owned by Gabor). And when I say "incredibly rare," consider this: the 1995 edition of "Canfield's Guide to Classical Recordings" (the bible of rare LP collectors) lists the three Continental LPs as "the Holy Grail of all records!" The set is priced there at $4,000! So this well-transferred CD offering is a remarkable bargain.

Very highest recommendation.

Jeff Lipscomb

Revelatory!.......2004-12-11

A Cosmic Cycle of the Sonatas & Partitas.

One adjusts very easily to the mono sound and despite the flaws caused by his severe arthritis, what's more important is that the essence of the music still manages to shine (like a blaze of fire) through the technical aspect of his playing.

Thank God there was someone who understood (in the complete sense of the word) these Masterworks, and who gave humanity the oppertunity to hear the mysteries contained in them. We have been blessed with the genius and greatness of George Enescu!

Be ready to be transformed mentally, emotionally and spiritually!

Soulful and Utterly Convicted Playing.......2004-10-03

Enescu is simply incredible. Even now, over 50 years after this recording was made, he is still moving audiences with these magnificent performances. One of the greatest violinists of the past century, if not of all time, George Enescu had a deep devotion for the unaccompanied violin music of Bach. He was the revered teacher of Yehudi Menuhin, the violinist who, at 18 years of age, produced the first complete recording of the Sonatas and Partitas in history.
Enescu's 1949 recording of the S&P, reproduced here, is earthy, soulful, and spontaneous. Wracked with arthritis (that would eventually lead to his death) at the time of this recording, Enescu is clearly struggling, and his intonation in several places (most notably in the complicated arpeggio section in the G Minor Fugue) is considerably off. Technically, the recording can probably be bettered (certainly by the later set released by Grumiaux).
However, it is in the capturing of the sheer emotion - the sheer drama - of this the most incredible music ever conceived for anything, that Enescu triumphs over all others, even his youthful prodigy, Yehudi Menuhin. He plays with total conviction, with a love for this music that is almost palpable. There are times (such as the minuets from the E Major Partita) where the instrument seems to sing of its own accord, encouraged by the gentle bowing of the violinist - and there are times where the violin roars and declaims like a symphony orchestra (the final three variations from the D Major section of the Chaconne). Ravaged by arthritis, the physical act of rendering these pieces must have caused the violinist incredible pain, and even that comes through this music. One can sense the struggle between the artist, his instrument, and the music, especially in the great Chaconne and C Major Fugue. While the Grumiaux is a very fine set (and I enjoy it greatly) and is rightly considered a benchmark rendering, Enescu should not be passed over by any serious Bach enthusiast, and he should be considered indispensable for a collector of the Sonatas and Partitas. This is not the ideal way to meet the Six for the first time, but it is an incredible way to hear them after more exposure. Earthy, soulful, and totally convincing, George Enescu has left us with an enduring tribute, both to himself and to this monumental music.

Enescu re-creates the locus for Bach's Sonatas and Partitas.......2004-06-06

Having listened to so many renditions of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas, I found Enescu's the quintessential! As individual as Kuijken's, as lyrical as Oistrakh's, as intelligent as Milstein's, as elegant as Kogan's, and on and on. Sublimated (by) pathos and joy this interpretation comes as close as one can represent what the almighty might have made it sound in the imagination of Bach...

On a slightly different note, by learning anything about Enescu's life, as a teacher, player of several instruments, conductor, composer, and man, one can only add to one's image about art as life and life as art.

The inherent technical limitations become easy to overcome once the music comes on; only let there be this music!

A Seemless Robe.......2004-04-11

This is truth. After this all is trivial.
Enescu's bow weaves an amazing seemless robe of each movement, seeming to compress its time-span while expounding it depths and wonder.

Nowhere is this experienced to better effect than in the great Partita No 2, the mighty Chaconne is a revelation of glory because it is a revealtion of humility - deep insight, absolutely no attempt to draw attention from the music to the performer, not an grain of self-pity or self-regard.

A most wonderful and uplifting experience.
Take all but leave me this.

If Bach is played in heaven - and can we could doubt that he is - then this is how he is played!

Tracks:

Sonata No.1 In G Minor, BWV 1001: Adagio
Sonata No.1 In G Minor, BWV 1001: Fugue: Allegro
Sonata No.1 In G Minor, BWV 1001: Siciliano
Sonata No.1 In G Minor, BWV 1001: Presto
Sonata No.2 In A Minor, BWV 1003: Grave
Sonata No.2 In A Minor, BWV 1003: Fugue
Sonata No.2 In A Minor, BWV 1003: Andante
Sonata No.2 In A Minor, BWV 1003: Allegro
Sonata No.3 In C, BWV 1005: Adagio
Sonata No.3 In C, BWV 1005: Fugue: Alla Breve
Sonata No.3 In C, BWV 1005: Largo
Sonata No.3 In C, BWV 1005: Allegro Assai

Tracks:

Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Allemande
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Double
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Courante
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Double
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Sarabande
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Double
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Bourree
Partita No.1 In B Minor, BWV 1002: Double
Partita No.2 In D Minor, BWV 1004: Allemande
Partita No.2 In D Minor, BWV 1004: Courante
Partita No.2 In D Minor, BWV 1004: Saraband
Partita No.2 In D Minor, BWV 1004: Gigue
Partita No.2 In D Minor, BWV 1004: Chaconne
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Preludio
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Loure
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Gavotte en Rondeau
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Menuett I
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Menuett II
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Bourree
Partita No.3 In E, BWV 1006: Gigue

Customer Reviews:

pure gold.......2006-04-06

I believe everyone who knows and understands baroque music knows that. Bach's music is like a tapestry full of waves color and emotion and. I believe Mr.Heifetz expressed these precious works the best "Amazing"

CHACONNE A SON GOUT.......2005-04-03

It was only after I had first picked the Heifetz version of the Bach solo violin pieces for my vinyl collection many years ago that I read an authoritative-sounding review of the entire field in these works that pronounced him firmly to be the best. I have not spent my musical life since then comparing versions of these compositions, towering masterpieces though they be, nor do I propose to in what time I have left. On the other hand, speaking as an amateur musician and as a non-violinist, I know what these renderings have done to make the (seemingly) forbidding solo works as natural a part of my musical background as the Brandenburgs or the violin concertos. I also know that I have heard no recent version that has quite the same effect on me.

Heifetz's centenary came around in 2001, and reissues are trickling out in the familiar way with such events. This is one that I welcome in particular, because I'm not sure I know anything, certainly not among the virtuoso repertory that he first made his name in, that demonstrates the special and unparalleled greatness of Heifetz in the way this set does. His approach is neither antiquarian nor romantic, but really extremely straightforward. He uses little or no vibrato, and no great dynamic range or wide rhythmic latitude. Unlike the cello suites, those for unaccompanied violin provide, in the slow movements of the sonatas, some highly lyrical melody: in particular the slow movement of the second sonata is a very famous Bach tune indeed. I have heard it from all sorts of sources that I'd rather not have, and it will be a good test of how you may react to this set in general. I'm sure Heifetz could have played it like Mantovani if he had wanted to, but he chooses a plain and natural approach that I find wears well. He does not sentimentalise anything here, but on the other hand he doesn't cultivate dryness for its own sake either. Bach's indications as to tempo are far from complete or clear, but for me Heifetz errs on the right side with brisk speeds in all movements not obviously intended to be slow.

I feel I learned from Heifetz what music like this is about, not because I was an adept pupil but because of the firm intellectual grip in his interpretation that could overcome even my natural hebetude of understanding. What I would say to any nervous music-lover uncertain how to approach such compositions is this - don't think of these pieces as `unharmonised' for starters, even when the writing is in single notes. Harmony can be consecutive as well as concurrent, just as prison sentences can be. It would be false to the testimony of our own ears to call Bach's Chromatic Fantasia or the last movement of Chopin's `funeral march' sonata `unharmonised'. Standard non-melodic sequences such as arpeggios, broken chords and the Alberti bass are `harmony', just as much as block chords are. Another thing Heifetz can teach us is a bit about is fugues. The three sonatas that comprise half of this set of six suites each starts with a prelude and fugue. Fugues are a natural for combinations of distinct voices, whether these be human voices or the sections of a string orchestra or small instrumental groupings, and also for keyboard instruments. Bach was the greatest of all writers of fugues, and Tovey was the greatest commentator on his methods. However what Tovey understands so deeply and expounds so brilliantly is only one type of fugue, the fully worked-through variety represented in the 48, the Musical Offering and of course the mighty Art of Fugue itself. He trips himself up with his own description of fugue as `a texture'. There was a whole tradition of Italian fugues in which it was a looser arrangement altogether, one in which all that had to happen to qualify as a `fugue' was for the subject to put in an appearance at intervals. Tovey himself can appreciate that point perfectly well in the context of the fugue in Beethoven's Weihe des Hauses -- there is no such thing as a fully worked-through fugue for a symphony orchestra. Although he could see it in the context of his beloved Beethoven's great tribute to Handel, in Handel himself he failed to see the point entirely, and as far as Bach's fugues here are concerned he drifts, in consequence of his own theories, into a mental miasma involving `implied' fugal entries, whereas I believe the truth is that these fugues are half-way to the Handel method with long monodic sequences simply lacking entries, implied or explicit, of the fugal subject.

Throughout Heifetz prefers severity to sentimentality, but I find him all the more expressive for that very reason. There is a high and mighty concentration and seriousness running through these accounts, relaxing a little in the E major partita, but reaching its apogee in the great chaconne of the D minor. If anything here justifies Heifetz's approach this, one of the greatest pieces of music in the whole world, does. Maybe you will spot the Lost Chord in it, as I think I do.

A millestone of Bach playing.......2005-02-23

There are very few recordings in which an artist penetrates so profoundly in the soul of a composer. In this recording, Bach's melancholy, serenity and energy come back full of strength right back from the eighteenth century.
In Bach's solo playing, I think only Casal's Cello sonatas come close to the divinity of Heifetz's.

Heifetz Everlasting Virtuosity.......2005-01-05

As everyone knows, Heifetz is one of the greatest violinists ever, possibly the "best." However, in this recording I have noticed he does not follow the "rules." In the time Bach lived until the middle aged Beethoven, trills started from the upper note. Heifetz does not follow this rule. The rest of the recording is wonderful with his varying ideas.

Heifetz is the best!.......2003-06-19

Bach and Heifetz! Sometimes both names appear on the discussions, but it depends what are you looking for. If you know that music should be always alive in each single note this recording is for you. If you like to listen amazing polyphony this recording is for you. If you are looking for the fantastic energy this is for you.
If you are looking for the sound like tear of the soul this is for you.
Everybody try to discuss Heifetz, but he is more than violinist and his laws belong only to him.

Average customer rating:

Fabulous performance, lousy technical shape

Bach: Sonatas & Partitas

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Bach: Sonatas & Partitas
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin
Bach: Sonatas for Unaccompanied Violin
Great Recordings Of The Century - Brahms: Violin Sonatas nos 1 - 3 / Perlman, Ashkenazy
Bach: Violin Concertos

ASIN: B000AQACYI
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

I. Adagio
II. Fuga (Allegro)
III. Siciliana
IV. Presto
I. Allemanda
Double
II. Corrente
Double (Presto)
III. Sarabanda
Double
IV. Bourree
Double
I. Grave
II. Fuga
III. Andante
IV. Allegro

Tracks:

I. Allemanda
II. Corrente
III. Sarabanda
IV. Giga
V. Ciaccona
I. Adagio
II. Fuga
III. Largo
IV. Allegro Assai
I. Preludio
II. Loure
III. Gavotte En Rondo
IV. Menuet I
Menuet II
V. Bourree
VII. Gigue

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous performance, lousy technical shape.......2007-05-19

The first and second copy of this set I received had serious technical defects, namely, on disc 2 tracks 9 and 10 skipped constantly. I plan to try a third time but it looks like a bad batch of CDs.

Music Review:

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