Bach J.S: Sonatas & Partitas for Violin [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Album Details
In 1961 Philips First Issued These Performances of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin and They have Remained One on the Most Highly Regarded and Internationally Acclaimed Cycles Ever Since. Simply Put, Grumiaux is Wonderfully Stylish and Technically Peerless! Though of Course Still Available Domestically, this Import Philips 50 Edition is by Far the Preferred Set. The 96khz 24-bit Remastered Sound Here is Far Superior to the Original Domestic Slapdash Effort. Too, Included as a Bonus on the Second CD Are Rare Performances Previously Unreleased on CD of Two of Bach's Violin Sonatas (Bwv 1016 and 1017) featuring Grumiaux Accompanied by Harpsichordist Egida Giordani Sartori.

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!

J.S. Bach: 6 Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo

Average customer rating:

Excelllent

J.S. Bach: 6 Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo

Manufacturer: Vanguard Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
Bach: Partitas
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin
Bach: Sonatas for Unaccompanied Violin
A Sonata Recital by Joseph Szigeti & Béla Bartók

ASIN: B0000CABBG
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

Adagio
Fuga
Siciliana
Presto
Allemande
Double
Courante
Double
Sarabande
Double
Tempo Di Bouree
Double
Grave
Fuga
Andante
Allegro

Tracks:

Allemande
Courante
Sarabande
Gigue
Chaconne
Adagio
Fuga
Largo
Allegro Assai
Preludio
Loure
Gavotte En Rondeau
Menuett I & II
Bouree
Gigue

Customer Reviews:

Excelllent.......2007-02-07

This edition of Bachs Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin are of a very high standard, and also has a very good tone, although the recording is not recently.

J.S. Bach: The Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo

Average customer rating:

Infinity's End!
Magnificent
Passionated architecture!
An Approach to Bach's Genius of Spirit rather than Wizard of Craft
Different.

J.S. Bach: The Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo

Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Beethoven: Complete Sonatas & Variations [Hybrid SACD]
Mozart: Sonatas for Piano & Violin
Richard Goode Performs Mozart
Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Stella Maris

ASIN: B000A2WF3S
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

Sonata No.1 In G Minor
Sonata No.1 In G Minor
Sonata No.1 In G Minor
Sonata No.1 In G Minor
Partita No.1 In B Minor
Partita No.1 In B Minor
Partita No.1 In B Minor
Partita No.1 In B Minor
Partita No.1 In B Minor
Partita No.1 In B Minor
Partita No.1 In B Minor
Partita No.1 In B Minor
Sonata No.2 In A Minor
Sonata No.2 In A Minor
Sonata No.2 In A Minor
Sonata No.2 In A Minor

Tracks:

Partita No.2 In D Minor
Partita No.2 In D Minor
Partita No.2 In D Minor
Partita No.2 In D Minor
Partita No.2 In D Minor
Sonata No.3 In C Major
Sonata No.3 In C Major
Sonata No.3 In C Major
Sonata No.3 In C Major
Partita No.3 In E Major
Partita No.3 In E Major
Partita No.3 In E Major
Partita No.3 In E Major
Partita No.3 In E Major
Partita No.3 In E Major
Partita No.3 In E Major

Customer Reviews:

Infinity's End!.......2006-10-13

Kremer beautifully states how a composition's interpretations could be infinite. Well, there could be many that even Bach couldn't have fathomed how brilliantly they could be executed. This, of all of them, may be considered as one of the BEST - Infinity's End!

The esoteric Chaconne apart, the standout track is the easily likeable and the most famous Prelude of Partita No. 3 (1006, E Major) - Kremer uses a breathtaking speed and has a God-like control over the dynamics - remarkable! Be it for collection of the entire Solo Violin Partitas and Sonatas or for simple listening pleasure of a brilliant interpretation, this is a must for all Bach connoisseurs.

Magnificent.......2006-04-06

This is my 13th recording of these pieces, and like each of its predecessors, Kremer's journey shines with a uniqueness all its own.

Kremer performs the Six with an almost manic drive. The Fugue from the G minor Sonata is a powerful, terrifying thing, with Kremer accenting the repeated notes in the fugue's subject harshly and fiercely. His style seems highly adaptable; the G minor Siciliana rocks gently, like a cradle lullaby, while the A minor Allegro breaks over the listener like a gigantic series of waves. While Milstein, Grumiaux, and Tetzlaff are rightly revered for their finesse and, in Tetzlaff's case, almost emotional detachment, Kremer seems to dig in to the very core of these pieces, pushing his violin to emotional heights unknown; helping these pieces truly come alive. The B minor Allemanda sounds almost sorrowful, while the G minor Fugue explodes with a palpable fury from the instrument.

The star of the disc set (as with most sets of the Soli) is Kremer's traversal of the great Chaconne. His reading of this mighty piece is technically immaculate and almost breathlessly powerful. At times, the violin sounds mournful, and at others, furious and roaring. This can also be said for Kremer's reading as a whole: the violin and its performer are endlessly expressive and versatile, and as a result, each individual movement of the Sonatas and Partitas has a unique character, a different personality.

Kremer's account, though not "definitive" (can any single recording be called that?), bears the unmistakable stamp of his personality, and this journey through this Work of Works, as it were, is an enlightening, uplifting, and exciting trip.

Passionated architecture!.......2006-03-28

According an almost genetic tradition, there has not been any other instrument so closely associated with Jewish musicians. Szigetti, Heifetz, Stern, Menuhin, Morini, Rabin, Gitlis, Perlman, Vengerov and Zukerman among others seem to confirm it. Gideon Kremer virtuosity would seem to run parallel to its humbleness. He is far to be a star of the instrument; he has always known to maintain a low profile, even every time he decides to make a public appearance or to record determined work, it' s an issue of constant attention by many musical followers of his art.

Gidon Kremer made of this special recoding a cult performance in all the sense of the word. His impeccable phrasing and fabulous technique have credited him as one of the most legendary interpreters of this instrument.

Go for this record. It will reward you.

An Approach to Bach's Genius of Spirit rather than Wizard of Craft.......2005-11-24

Gidon Kremer has again recorded the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin of Bach and while his facility and technical grace are intact, in this recording he appears to have been deeply influenced by his time with the moderns (Adams, Pärt, Schnittke, Piazzola, Glass, et al). For this listener it seems that studying and performing these contemporary composers' manipulation of sound and instrumental scope has enriched Kremer's thougth about the perfection of Bach.

Not everyone will agree with Kremer's approach to these works on this new recording, but for those who know Bach's solo violin pieces there are pleasures in store. Remaining technically suave and with a luxuriant tone, Kremer seems to be communicating with the psychological Bach, offering different tempi and more soulful approaches than those of his colleagues. The results are mesmerizing.

The sonics of this release are impeccable: the soloist is immediately in the room with the listener. This recording is a must for those who have followed Kremer's impressive career and for those who wish to venture outside the norm for a fresh approach to the wonders of Bach's genius. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, November 05

Different........2005-11-16

Let it never be said that Gidon Kremer's interpretations are in any way similar to... well, anyone. This is truly a fresh, and let me stress alternative take on these works- I would not recommend these to anyone not first initiated to Bach solo violin. If I were to recommend a place to start with these pieces, it would be Arthur Grumiaux, Henryk Szeryng, Nathan Milstein, or Hilary Hahn, as they present more (for lack of a better term) "mainstream" versions without Kremer's tendency towards more esoteric (yet totally effective) interpretations.

However, to those of you out there who are already familiar with the works, I say have at it: Kremer's reading is heartfelt, idiomatic, and very staccato yet never mechanical. He is certainly a student of performance, individuality, and taste. It is also quite worth it to hear the cleanliness of these discs: the sound and recording quality, as in all ECM recordings, is absolutely stellar.

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Not good
Beautiful
Just Perfect!

Bach: Flute Sonatas

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: The 6 Flute Sonatas
Music For My Friends

ASIN: B000003FP6
Release Date: 1995-02-14

Tracks:

Sonata In B Minor, BWV 1030: Andante
Sonata In B Minor, BWV 1030: Largo E Dolce
Sonata In B Minor, BWV 1030: Presto
Sonata In E, BWV 1035: Adatio Ma Non Tanto
Sonata In E, BWV 1035: Allegro
Sonata In E, BWV 1035: Siciliano
Sonata In E, BWV 1035: Allegro Assai
Sonata In E Minor, BWV 1034: Adagio Ma Non Tanto
Sonata In E Minor, BWV 1034: Allegro
Sonata In E Minor, BWV 1034: Andante
Sonata In E Minor, BWV 1034: Allegro
Sonata In C, BWV 1033: Andante
Sonata In C, BWV 1033: Allegro
Sonata In C, BWV 1033: Adagio
Sonata In C, BWV 1033: Menuet I & II
Sonata In G Minor, BWV 1020: Allegro
Sonata In G Minor, BWV 1020: Adagio
Sonata In G Minor, BWV 1020: Allegro
Sonata In E Flat, BWV 1031: Allegro Moderato
Sonata In E Flat, BWV 1031: Siciliana
Sonata In E Flat, BWV 1031: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Not good.......2004-09-19

I am a huge James Galway fan, but I thought this recording was strangely off. He just seemed to be toodling his way along without a sense of direction, and the lines of the music didn't come through -- at least not to me. There were some good moments, but not enough, and some moments when I could swear he was actually off-key or not quite in sync with the other two musicians. I'm tossing it.

Beautiful.......2001-03-04

Irishman, James Galway, is the 'most oustanding flautist of his generation', as is stated in the liner notes. This is Chamber music at its best. I am no expert when it comes to Classical music, but I do know what I like, and I also know good music when I hear it. This is an album that is easily accessible to people who, like myself, are just begginning to discover the wonders of this type of music. You most certainly do not need to be a Classical afficionado to appreciate the beauty of this album. It is my first introduction to James Galway, but certainly not my last.

Just Perfect!.......2000-03-10

This is a must recording for all bach's and flute lovers. Galway shows a technical skill that makes this interpretation even better of Rampal, Nicolet or Larrieu, with a precise timing and phrasing. The excesive sound processing and non very Barroque interpretation can be a weak point for the most classical and ortodox audience, who probably prefer Aurèl Nicolet. Anyway, this is the spatial sound i like!.

Average customer rating:

Bach flute Sonatas CD
Brilliant Performances of Music Often Considered Spurious

Bach: Flute Sonatas, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Hmf Classical Exp.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: Flute Sonatas, Vol.1
Baroque Lute Music, Vol. 1
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ASIN: B0001XP1UU
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Customer Reviews:

Bach flute Sonatas CD.......2007-01-12

The CD was received in perfect condition. I already had heard it, so knew I would like the musical quality.

Brilliant Performances of Music Often Considered Spurious.......2006-04-08

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750): Flute Sonatas Vol. 2. Partita in A Minor BWV 1013; Sonata in C Major BWV 1033 in two versions; Sonata in E Flat Major BWV 1031; Sonata in G Minor WV 1020. Performed by Janet See, baroque transverse flute; Davitt Moroney, harpsichord; Mary Springfels, viola da gamba.
Recorded in March 1990 by Skywalker Sound of Marin County, California.
Harmonia Mundi, originally released as the second CD of the set HMU 907024.25, now re-released in the budget Classical Express series as HMCX 2957025. Total time: 57’15”.

The first volume of Bach’s flute sonatas by the same performers (HMCX 3957024) has been given almost unanimous praise by critics and Amazon reviewers alike. This second volume continues the marvelous performance on period instruments by three of America’s most accomplished baroque musicians. The main difference between the two CDs is the fact that the pieces on this CD are more controversial from a musicological standpoint and that Janet See has opted to play two of them as flute solos. BWV 1013, the partita in A minor, is an older piece that Bach possibly wrote for French virtuoso flautist Buffardin in Dresden. Janet See gives a spirited performance, and it is probably only the very last note of the Allemande (where she concludes the movement with a loud and rather shrill tone) where opinions will differ. BWV 1033 has been classed by musicologists as spurious, possibly as a work by Bach’s second son Carl Philipp Emanuel. Davitt Moroney, obviously the driving musicological force behind the recording, thinks that Johann Sebastian may have written the flute part, while Carl Philipp Emanuel added the bass line. Therefore the piece has been recorded here twice, once as a flute solo and once with the bass line (including Mary Springfels playing a lovely continuo in the Allegro second movement). Janet See was not content to play the flute solo movement in exactly the same way as in the trio sonata version, and a comparison is well worth the making: the solo version is slightly longer and contains some effects that would have been misplaced in an ensemble version.

BWV 1031 has also been considered spurious by some, but Davitt Moroney is convinced of its genuineness. And the last item of the program, BWV 1020, is well-known for being of doubtful provenience; Moroney agrees with the majority of musicologists that it is probably a work by the youthful Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. The majority of surviving manuscripts describe the piece as being for violin, but Moroney points out in his notes that its range is much more suited to the transverse flute (and I have another recording of the piece where the oboe is used). The playing is everywhere excellent, and the wonderful sound of Davitt Moroney’s copy of a Parisian harpsichord from the year 1707 is a further plus (although one might query the use of a French instrument for music that was so firmly anchored in Saxony).

Anyone who has Volume 1 of this set should have no qualms about buying Volume 2 and enjoying it equally as much as that first CD.

J.S. Bach: The Six Sonatas for Violin & Harpsichord, Vol. 2

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J.S. Bach: The Six Sonatas for Violin & Harpsichord, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00005NGYZ
Release Date: 2001-08-07

Tracks:

Son No.4 in c, BWV 1017: Largo
Son No.4 in c, BWV 1017: Allegro
Son No.4 in c, BWV 1017: Adagio
Son No.4 in c, BWV 1017: Allegro
Son No.5 in f, BWV 1018: (Largo)
Son No.5 in f, BWV 1018: Allegro
Son No.5 in f, BWV 1018: Adagio
Son No.5 in f, BWV 1018: Vivace
Ste in E flat, BWV 819a: Allemande
Ste in E flat, BWV 819a: Courante
Ste in E flat, BWV 819a: Sarabande
Ste in E flat, BWV 819a: Bourree
Ste in E flat, BWV 819a: Menuet 1/Menuet 2
Son No.6 in G, BWV 1019: Allegro
Son No.6 in G, BWV 1019: Largo
Son No.6 in G, BWV 1019: Allegro (Harpsichord Solo)
Son No.6 in G, BWV 1019: Adagio
Son No.6 in G, BWV 1019: Allegro
Cantabile, Ma Un Poco Adagio, BWV 1019a

J.S. Bach: Flute Sonatas BWV 1030-1032, 1034 & 1035

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J.S. Bach: Flute Sonatas BWV 1030-1032, 1034 & 1035

Manufacturer: Avie
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000GB7DI0
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Complete Violin Sonatas / Grumiaux, Jaccottet, Mermoud

Average customer rating:

simple, not simplistic
borderline
Superb Interpretations
Purity in quality, sound and execution
Not Baroque style

Complete Violin Sonatas / Grumiaux, Jaccottet, Mermoud

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: Complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
Bach: Violin Concertos, BWV 1041 & 1042; Double Concertos, BWV 1060 & 1043
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Haydn: Paris Symphonies
Bach: Sonatas for Unaccompanied Violin

ASIN: B0000041EG
Release Date: 1996-06-11

Tracks:

Sonata In B Minor, BWV 1014: Adagio
Sonata In B Minor, BWV 1014: Allegro
Sonata In B Minor, BWV 1014: Andante
Sonata In B Minor, BWV 1014: Allegro
Sonata In A, BWV 1015: -
Sonata In A, BWV 1015: Allegro
Sonata In A, BWV 1015: Andante Un Poco
Sonata In A, BWV 1015: Presto
Sonata In E, BWV 1016: Adagio
Sonata In E, BWV 1016: Allegro
Sonata In E, BWV 1016: Adagio Ma Non Tanto
Sonata In E, BWV 1016: Allegro
Sonata In C Minor, BWV 1017: Largo
Sonata In C Minor, BWV 1017: Allegro
Sonata In C Minor, BWV 1017: Adagio
Sonata In C Minor, BWV 1017: Allegro
Sonata In F Minor, BWV 1018: -
Sonata In F Minor, BWV 1018: Allegro
Sonata In F Minor, BWV 1018: Adagio
Sonata In F Minor, BWV 1018: Vivace

Tracks:

Sonata In G, BWV 1019 : Allegro
Sonata In G, BWV 1019 : Largo
Sonata In G, BWV 1019 : Allegro
Sonata In G, BWV 1019 : Adagio
Sonata In G, BWV 1019 : Allegro
Alternative Movements, BWV 1019a : Cantabile, Ma Un Poco Adagio
Alternative Movements, BWV 1019a : Adagio
Sonata In G Minor, BWV 1020 : -
Sonata In G Minor, BWV 1020 : Adagio
Sonata In G Minor, BWV 1020 : Allegro
Sonata In G Minor, BWV 1021 : Adagio
Sonata In G Minor, BWV 1021 : Vivace
Sonata In G Minor, BWV 1021 : Largo
Sonata In G Minor, BWV 1021 : Presto
Sonata In F, BWV 1022 : -
Sonata In F, BWV 1022 : Allegro E Presto
Sonata In F, BWV 1022 : Adagio
Sonata In F, BWV 1022 : Presto
Sonata In E Minor, BWV 1023 : Adagio Ma Non Tanto
Sonata In E Minor, BWV 1023 : Allemande
Sonata In E Minor, BWV 1023 : Gigue

Amazon.com

As in his set of Bach's unaccompanied violin music, Arthur Grumiaux plays this music with effortless mastery and a fine sense of Baroque style. You can count on this great musician to avoid letting any mannerisms or inappropriate romanticism intrude on the music, leaving you with pure Bach played with great refinement. The programming here is comprehensive, including alternate movements and a questionable work or two. Christiane Jaccottet makes her presence felt as an equal , and the recording still sounds excellent. It's hard to find better performances at any price, so as a "twofer" this is a great bargain. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

simple, not simplistic.......2007-02-09

The musical genius of Bach can be savored in any number of configurations. But you'd be hard pressed to find Bach speaking more exquisitely than via these compositions for violin and keyboard.

From here you cannot even see the outline of the Romantic Period. Rather, the pure, intertwined Baroque simplicity of two instruments instructs the soul that simple does not mean simplistic. Simple can be intricate, fugal, agile, or reflective.

Each of these modes is a format in which Bach and these two interpreters excel.

Then comes Philips with its fabulous 'Duo' series to make it all oh, so affordable.

Simple. Beautiful. Bach.

borderline.......2007-01-25

These CDs are a re-release of recordings made in 1978-80 by the great Arthur Grumiaux,i.e. they were made just prior to the time it became generally accepted that Baroque music should be played in a Baroque style. This makes it a bit difficult to write a review now, as a recording made in the style of the 60s, it is very good, as a " baroque" interpretation, well it isn't one. It is very easy to listen to, and I don't mind too much that there is lots of vibrato, but I don't like the way that it is played as violin sonatas with harpsichord accompaniment, as the main works, BWV 1041 to 1019, are realy trios with the harpsichord's right hand playing the second melody, and its left the bass line. So as a 1978 recording it give it 4. If you are looking for a recording in the baroque style try the version by van Dael & van Asperan on Naxos.

Superb Interpretations.......2001-07-25

I have known this recording for a long time, and it has lost none of its initial appeal. Throughout there is playing which is notable for its poise and effortless beauty. Even though I enjoy and often prefer original instrument performances, the Grumiaux/Jaccottet rendition of these sonatas is my favorite. This reissue on CD is a true bargain.

Purity in quality, sound and execution.......2001-04-18

Grumiaux is one of the greatest violinists from the Old School of Senofsky and others who emphasized not only clarity of technique but also passion of musical opinion. I can't say enough good things about this CD. Grumiaux captures traditional Bach with power and ownership. You can tell that each piece has his "Grumiaux thumbprint." Unliked his other recordings such as the piano trios, this CD has a strong, pure sound and sustains its clarity even when a car stereo is blasting on its highest volume. The purity touches all ages, from my toddler to advanced violin students to even carpoolers never exposed to Bach partitas. This CD also makes a great gift for young kids to adults, to your friends who are music experts. Another must-have that you shouldn't just burn from a friend.

Not Baroque style.......2001-04-05

I was disappointed to hear this CD when I received it, having acted on the highly complimentary reviews I'd read and the competitive pricing. However, the violinist does not use a Baroque style violin and the performance is not in the Baroque style. For example, a good deal of tremolo is used. I note that the original copyright dates are 1979 and 1981.

I suppose the quality of the performance is good, but I'm now so used to hearing Baroque style performances of these sorts of pieces on original style instruments that I can't get past the lack of these things.

I confess to having only listened to the first work. However, nothing indicates that the others would be any different.

Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo
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The true beauty of Bach

Deeply Satisfying Bach

My New Favorite of an Old Masterpiece

Tired of the "Same Old" Bach?

clear and beautiful

Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo

Manufacturer: Garrett Fischbach
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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J. S. Bach -- Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin

Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Violin

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

Bach: Sonatas & Partitas

Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin

ASIN: B0002UUF6W
Release Date: 2004-08-01

Tracks:

1. Adagio
2. Fuga (Allegro)
3. Siciliana
4. Presto
1. Allemanda
2. Double
3. Corrente
4. Double
5. Sarabande
6. Double
7. Tempo di Borea
8. Double
1. Grave
2. Fuga
3. Andante
4. Allegro

Tracks:

1. Allemanda
2. Corrente
3. Sarabanda
4. Giga
5. Ciaccona
1. Adagio
2. Fuga
3. Largo
4. Allegro assai
1. Preludio
2. Loure
3. Gavotte en Rondeau
4. Menuet I, Menuet II
5. Bour
6. Gigue

Album Description

The Sonatas and Partitas are technical wonders, seamlessly combining the intellectual and emotional, the craft and art, as one inseparable expression of the human spirit. While the study of antique styles is enlightening, an attempt to recreate an "authentic" performance would be contrary to the inventive nature of this music, whose content easily transcends those issues. Bach's music encompasses all the joy, sorrow, love, and grandeur of human experience, while commanding the performer to bring it to life through his own eyes and heart.

Customer Reviews:

The true beauty of Bach.......2007-04-09

Mr. Fischbach brings out the powerful yet sensitive side of Bach. His technique flourish through the entire pieces, notes dance through the music. One of the "must haves" if you are a Bach fan.

Deeply Satisfying Bach.......2005-02-02

Garrett Fischbach, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra violist, here delivers a most insightful traversal of the Bach solo sonatas and partitas. With breathtaking technique and a virtuosic exposition of both the architectural and emotional components of this music, Fischbach positively triumphs. Playing on a modern instrument, he gives a performance of which one can readily imagine Bach approving. And if Bach didn't approve, I wouldn't care, so great is my aesthetic pleasure in listening to these discs. Recorded in the Upper Ridgewood Community Church in Ridgewood, New Jersey, the album offers a beautiful acoustic.

My New Favorite of an Old Masterpiece.......2004-12-01

After listening to Garrett Fischbach's newly released 2 CD recording of the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin several times, it has now become my favorite recording of these masterpieces by Bach.

For the last 25 years my favorite recording of the unaccompanied Bach has been the one by Henryk Szering, released in 1968 (I owned both the original LP set and the 1996 CD) which I didn't think could be improved upon.

Garrett Fischbach's fresh and very personal view of this music gives an exciting new perspective to these pieces that have been around for over 250 years. His easy and accurate technique allow the full 3 part polyphony to come through without any of the technical struggles apparent on most recordings, with the exception of Heifitz. His choice of using Eudoxa gut core strings (not mentioned in the liner notes) is rare in these days of synthetic strings and gives his sound a very smooth and appropriate Baroque character.

Purists might criticize some of his personal interpretive choices such as his use of ponticello in the fugue of the G Minor Sonata, his occasional use of non-standardized ornamentation, or a few of his tempi, but after a few listenings I can't imagine it being done any other way. It is worth quoting from his personal liner notes: "While the study of antique style is enlightening, an attempt to recreate an `authentic' performance would be contrary to the inventive nature of this music, whose content easily transcends those issues."

All in all I must say this is the most enjoyable recording of unaccompanied Bach I have ever heard from beginning to end, not just because I made the violin used. I believe even people who are not big Bach fans will enjoy it.

David Caron, Violinmaker

Tired of the "Same Old" Bach?.......2004-11-18

These great pieces are often studied, often played, and often recorded, but rarely with such clarity and inflection. Fischbach has obviously absorbed so much more than the "industry standard" approach to these works, and applied an intelligence and nuance that is not exceeded by any other recording available, and I've owned dozens of them. Here is a violinist who understands the violin, the music, and himself, and delivers as cohesive a musical statement as can be made. What has he accomplished here? Something that proves a musical mind at work that uses the violin to reveal music, music that is more often simply repeated than expressed. Here is the profound side of Bach, in a two disc set. Put it next to your Gould, another thinker NOT content to regurgitate Bach exactly as he was taught. Buy this CD, or buy my copies of other artists second hand. I have no need for them any more.

clear and beautiful.......2004-10-22

This CD was an unexpected treat! Whether it is the rapidly boiling middle variations in the Ciaccona or the ethereal D major "chorale" which follows, the spring of the E major prelude or the intimate line of the a minor Andante, the expressive intent is always fulfilled in this performance. This fellow manages to play these magnificent works with personal commitment without interposing his own ego between the composer and the listener... a rare achievement!! Kudos to Mr. Fischbach and to anyone wise enough to branch out from the PBS-famous-soloist-of-the-day rut and hear this refreshing performer!

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

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

Manufacturer: Multisonic Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00008BNTC
Release Date: 2003-02-25

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