Top Recordings of Bach's Violin Concertos

[Rhymenoceros]

What are some of the best recordings of the Bach Violin Concertos?  I have the performances by Roberto Michelucci that come with the Brandenburg Concertos in the Philips box set.

What do people think of the performances by:

Hilary Hahn
Julia Fischer
Anne-Sophie Mutter
Isaac Stern
Jascha Heifetz

I don't know if anyone has ever seen the movie Persona by Ingmar Bergman, but there is a very moving performance of the Adagio from Violin Concerto No. 2.  I'm looking for something similar, but not too slow or romantic.

http://youtu.be/F06L42mWt4s?t=55s

[Sammy]

What are some of the best recordings of the Bach Violin Concertos?  I have the performances by Roberto Michelucci that come with the Brandenburg Concertos in the Philips box set.

What do people think of the performances by:

Hilary Hahn
Julia Fischer
Anne-Sophie Mutter
Isaac Stern
Jascha Heifetz

It's always period instruments for me.  With that in mind, my favorite these days comes from Zig Zag and features Amandine Beyer along with the ensemble Gli Incogniti.

[JerryS]

Beautiful performances in this recent recording by Anne Akiko Meyers:


[asin]B006OZN6J2[/asin]

[kishnevi]

For PI, my long time favorite has been Manze (with Podger on the double concerto), on Harmonia Mundi.
Although there are several that I haven't heard, the Beyer included.

Among MI performances, I have no real favorite, although some, like the Myers, are less favorite than others.

[Marc]

[....]
I don't know if anyone has ever seen the movie Persona by Ingmar Bergman, but there is a very moving performance of the Adagio from Violin Concerto No. 2.  I'm looking for something similar, but not too slow or romantic.
[....]

Something similar:

Yehudi Menuhin/Bath Festival Orchestra
http://www.amazon.com/Violin-Concertos-1-3-Orchestral-Suites/dp/B000000UUX/

Zino Francescatti/Festival Strings Lucerne/Rudolf Baumgartner
http://www.amazon.com/Violinkon-1-2-Doppelkon-B-1034-Francescatti/dp/B00000E4FN/

Itzhak Perlman/English Chamber Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim
http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Violin-Concertos-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B00005NPIX/

Perlman is the easiest to purchase.
Menuhin is the one playing in Persona.
Francescatti is one of my own faves.

[71 dB]

I have only two to choose from: Takano Nishizaki on Naxos (my first Bach CD!) and Manze on Harmonia Mundi. Manze from these. How far he is from the top I don't know...

[Marc]

On period instruments and less similar with the 'Bergman' version, I think I would recommend Sigiswald Kuijken and his La Petite Bande.
http://www.amazon.com/Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Concertos-1041-1043/dp/B000026NHZ/

If you prefer more relaxed playing, then Elizabeth Wallfisch might be your choice (with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment):
http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Violin-Concertos-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B00000J2PS/

[mc ukrneal]

What do people think of the performances by:

Julia Fischer

No idea if it is the best, but I do enjoy this version, It has a lightness of touch that I like.

[val]

I prefer versions in period instruments. My favorite is Monica Huggett with direction of Ton Koopman.

But I will not forget the first version I had of this works, in a traditional style: Henryk Szeryng with Neville Marriner.

[scheep]

I only listen to either a period band or a modern one heavily influenced by the period movement.

For the former, Amandine Beyer and Gli Incogniti aren't bad, as are her compatriots, Pablo Valetti / Café Zimmermann, though both can at times be acidic and brutal, especially in the slow movements.

For the latter, I think Elfa Run / Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop is excellent. It's not a complete traversal of the concertos, but what we have is virtually indistinguishable from period recordings. Very driven, and the slow movements are lovingly performed.

[czgirb]

For me, I love Philips Arthur Grumiaux's performance.
http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Violin-Concertos-1041-Double/dp/B0000040Z3/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1341551746&sr=8-4&keywords=bach%3A+violin+concertos

[squarez]

Bach concertos (especially keyboard and violin) are my all-time favorites.

For violin concertos I prefer Mullova's early recording on Philips, and Sigiswald Kuijen with La Petite Bande on DHM for a period instrument take. Though A.Busch, Francescatti, Grumiaux, Manze... they all have classic, interesting or enticing recordings.

And I always remember my first recording of the Double Concerto by Heifetz and Friedman, which I still regard as top shelf.

[milk]

This looks interesting:

In 1053 and 1060, it appears that Mullova and Mullova and Dantone, respectively, play the solo parts. Is there a precedent
for having the violin take the lead in these compositions? I know it's said that some of Bach's harpsichord concertos were
originally violin concertos. But having the violin play one of the solo parts and the keyboard the other in 1060 seems unique. The samples
sound great. I'm temped to pick this up.

[Brian]

Between Mullova, Podger, and Mullejans/von der Goltz, there's a huge outburst of Bach violin concerto albums right now.

[Parsifal]

It's always period instruments for me.  With that in mind, my favorite these days comes from Zig Zag and features Amandine Beyer along with the ensemble Gli Incogniti.

Listened to samples, and WoW!  Seems like the performance I would imagine.  (That said, I consider Grumiaux' MI version of Philips a guilty pleasure.  It sounded even more velvety on LP than on the CD release.)

[prémont]

..That said, I consider Grumiaux' MI version of Philips a guilty pleasure.  It sounded even more velvety on LP than on the CD release.

Yes and I would say, that his mono recording from the 1950es with the Guller orchestra is more intense and moving than his later remake with Raymond Leppard.

[prémont]

What are some of the best recordings of the Bach Violin Concertos?

I do not know how many recordings I own of the solo violin concertos, but I recently counted 60 recordings of the double concerto BWV 1043 on my shelves.
It is almost impossible to say which ones I prefer, but among PI versions I find Kuijken and Walfish to be safe choices, and among MI versions Suwanai and my old favorite Schneiderhan on Archive.

[MishaK]

Something similar:

Yehudi Menuhin/Bath Festival Orchestra
http://www.amazon.com/Violin-Concertos-1-3-Orchestral-Suites/dp/B000000UUX/

Zino Francescatti/Festival Strings Lucerne/Rudolf Baumgartner
http://www.amazon.com/Violinkon-1-2-Doppelkon-B-1034-Francescatti/dp/B00000E4FN/

Itzhak Perlman/English Chamber Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim
http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Violin-Concertos-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B00005NPIX/

Perlman is the easiest to purchase.
Menuhin is the one playing in Persona.
Francescatti is one of my own faves.

The Francescatti has been my favorite for a very long time. Classically restrained, beautiful and naturally singing. I found the Perlman unlistenable. Way too schmaltzy. I don't insist on HIP, but that much romanticism in Bach is just ridiculous.

[prémont]

The Francescatti has been my favorite for a very long time. Classically restrained, beautiful and naturally singing. I found the Perlman unlistenable. Way too schmaltzy. I don't insist on HIP, but that much romanticism in Bach is just ridiculous.

Schneiderhan is even more restrained and naturally singing than Francescatti, and he has got the same backing group (Lucerne Festival Strings / R Baumgartner).
And I agree completely with you about Perlman.

[betterthanfine]

I absolutely love Hilary Hahn's recording, but it was the one that got me into the pieces. It's a touch old fashioned in that the orchestra can be a little 'heavy' at times and tempi are on the slow side here and there, but her tone is so beautiful and smooth that I take all that for granted. The double concerto for violin and oboe is especially gorgeous.

I was utterly unimpressed by Mutter, who romanticizes the works way too much in my opinion.

As far as HIP recordings go, I've been impressed by Rachel Podger's first release, haven't had a chance to really listen to the second installment yet.