Bach Chamber and Instrumental music

[Antoine Marchand]

I have the Hill/Weber recording. Perhaps I'll have to spend more time with it. Hmm...the Ghielmi brothers recording looks intriguing!

... and quite unique regarding the keyboard. Lorenzo Ghielmi does a great work with that Silbermann copy. 

[milk]

... and quite unique regarding the keyboard. Lorenzo Ghielmi does a great work with that Silbermann copy. 

Well I bought the Ghielmi. Yeah, I love it. But for some reason the Hill/Webber recording doesn't hold my attention. I like the Lautenwerk better as a solo instrument. The Ghielmi recording is a lot of fun. I really recommend the Hunninger/Pandolfo recording - there's a real feeling of spontaneity in the performances. I spend much more time with Bach's gamba sonatas than with his violin or flute sonatas. Give me gamaba! I love gamba!

[Geo Dude]

Any thoughts on this recording?

[asin]B00000JNK8[/asin]

[milk]

Any thoughts on these recordings? I'm particularly interested in the violin sonatas.
I see they vary the instruments quite a bit. But so did Daniel Yeadon, Pieter Wispelwey & Richard Egarr on their Gamba recording
and I wasn't able to get into it. Still, it looks interesting.

[Antoine Marchand]

Any thoughts on this recording?

[asin]B00000JNK8[/asin]

IMO, this set should be avoided. Hill plays very well the harpsichord part, but even so, 2/3 of the music well served is not enough. Sitkovetsky's violin invariably sounds too bright and never gets a satisfactory blending with Hill. This set is really a weird mix, something like Leonhardt/ Lars Frydén on Teldec, where also the harpsichordist plays based on HIP parameters and the violinist is "modern" in style and uses an inappropriate dose of vibrato.     

[Geo Dude]

IMO, this set should be avoided. Hill plays very well the harpsichord part, but even so, 2/3 of the music well served is not enough. Sitkovetsky's violin invariably sounds too bright and never gets a satisfactory blending with Hill. This set is really a weird mix, something like Leonhardt/ Lars Frydén on Teldec, where also the harpsichordist plays based on HIP parameters and the violinist is "modern" in style and uses an inappropriate dose of vibrato. 

Thanks.

[milk]

IMO, this set should be avoided. Hill plays very well the harpsichord part, but even so, 2/3 of the music well served is not enough. Sitkovetsky's violin invariably sounds too bright and never gets a satisfactory blending with Hill. This set is really a weird mix, something like Leonhardt/ Lars Frydén on Teldec, where also the harpsichordist plays based on HIP parameters and the violinist is "modern" in style and uses an inappropriate dose of vibrato. 

I wonder if I should also avoid the Tognetti? Some of the notes say he used gut strings but not a baroque violin. Perhaps I should be happy
with what I have. I followed Donald Satz's advice and got the Blumenstock/Butt recoding some time ago. I also have the Podger/Pinnock. These
sets are great. I'm just always looking for something new. I also recently went back and compared the Gamba recordings I have. For a while I was championing
the Pandolfo/Hunninger recording. It has great spontaneity but I started to get annoyed by the the problem Donald Satz brought up: lack of projection. The Céline Frisch/Juan Manuel Quintana, Crum/Cummings, and Ghielmi brothers recordings are much better (although I think the harpsichord is a little too much in the background on the Frisch). I don't know if it's a healthy impulse to keep buying new stuff. I guess I'll avoid the Tognetti and Yeadon recordings unless people here think they're revelatory.

[Antoine Marchand]

I wonder if I should also avoid the Tognetti? Some of the notes say he used gut strings but not a baroque violin. Perhaps I should be happy
with what I have. I followed Donald Satz's advice and got the Blumenstock/Butt recoding some time ago. I also have the Podger/Pinnock. These
sets are great. I'm just always looking for something new. I also recently went back and compared the Gamba recordings I have. For a while I was championing
the Pandolfo/Hunninger recording. It has great spontaneity but I started to get annoyed by the the problem Donald Satz brought up: lack of projection. The Céline Frisch/Juan Manuel Quintana, Crum/Cummings, and Ghielmi brothers recordings are much better (although I think the harpsichord is a little too much in the background on the Frisch). I don't know if it's a healthy impulse to keep buying new stuff. I guess I'll avoid the Tognetti and Yeadon recordings unless people here think they're revelatory.

Unfortunately I can't help because I don't know the ABC set. But the last three years I have added six or seven complete sets to my collection and the most satisfactory were Blandine Rannou & Florence Malgoire (Zig-Zag Territoires) and François Fernandez & Benjamin Alard (Flora). Both of them are outstanding. 

BTW, I agree about Butt & Blumenstock, but not regarding the gamba sonatas. I liked very much  Pandolfo & Hunninger and any day I'd prefer their performance over Quintana/Frisch. The Ghielmis are very good, but it's a sort of eccentricity (I mean by the use of a fortepiano).

[prémont]

Unfortunately I can't help because I don't know the ABC set. But the last three years I have added six or seven complete sets to my collection and the most satisfactory were Blandine Rannou & Florence Malgoire (Zig-Zag Territoires) and François Fernandez & Benjamin Alard (Flora). Both of them are outstanding. 

I agree completely with this. A third recent set I would like to mention is the set by Florian Deuter / Philippe Grisvard:

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Johann-Sebastian-Bach-1685-1750-Sonaten-f%FCr-Violine-Cembalo-BWV-1014-1019-1021-1023/hnum/1596687

I own the Tognetti / Costa set. Even if I think the use of organ (in alas only in a few movements) is interesting, I am very underwhelmed by Tognetti.

The Ghielmis are very good, but it's a sort of eccentricity (I mean by the use of a fortepiano).

Eccentricity maybe, but the internal balance gains from it.

[milk]

Unfortunately I can't help because I don't know the ABC set. But the last three years I have added six or seven complete sets to my collection and the most satisfactory were Blandine Rannou & Florence Malgoire (Zig-Zag Territoires) and François Fernandez & Benjamin Alard (Flora). Both of them are outstanding. 

BTW, I agree about Butt & Blumenstock, but not regarding the gamba sonatas. I liked very much  Pandolfo & Hunninger and any day I'd prefer their performance over Quintana/Frisch. The Ghielmis are very good, but it's a sort of eccentricity (I mean by the use of a fortepiano).

So which is your preferred set for the Gamba? I have six sets but still feel like I could do with another one. I have to search out the Fernandez and Rannou recordings. They're not on itunes unfortunately. The Ghielmi recording is eccentric but I love it. But yeah, one can't live on that alone. Speaking of eccentric recordings, and while I have your ear so to speak, what do you think of the Csalog/Spányi Bach flute recording? I don't understand about technical matters but those are the oddest sounding flutes. And Spanyi uses fortepiano and clavichord. I really enjoy it but I also have Hantai and See/Moroney for more "mainstream" instrumentation.

[Antoine Marchand]

So which is your preferred set for the Gamba? I have six sets but still feel like I could do with another one.

I haven't done a recounting, but I think I currently have some 19 viola da gamba sets. And some of my favorites are Webber/Hill (I have read you have had some problems with them), Kuijken/Leonhardt, Savall/Koopman (second take), Perkola/Hakkinen, the aforementioned Ghielmis... The last version I purchased was Luolajan-Mikkola/Spányi (tangent piano, Bis); but I was not very impressed after two listenings.

I have to search out the Fernandez and Rannou recordings. They're not on itunes unfortunately.

Yes, those two sets are, IMO, a sure shot. Just for the record: last year I bought two sets that I suppossed would be great, but I was slightly disappointed: Ingrid Matthews/Byron Schenkman & Maya Homburger/Malcolm Proud. To make this clear, are fine sets, but not great.

Speaking of eccentric. The Ghielmi recording is eccentric but I love it.

Me too, it's a lovely recording.

... what do you think of the Csalog/Spányi Bach flute recording? I don't understand about technical matters but those are the oddest sounding flutes. And Spanyi uses fortepiano and clavichord. I really enjoy it but I also have Hantai and See/Moroney for more "mainstream" instrumentation.

I see we are doing some similar researches. I am also very interested in Csalog/Spányi; it looks quite unique.

I also have Hantaï and See. Hantaï was the first recording of these flute sonatas I had played on period intrument and still today it's one of my very favorites. Very high also rank Barthold Kujiken (DHM complete set, including the dubious sonatas) and Stephen Preston (licensed by Brilliant). 

[milk]

I haven't done a recounting, but I think I currently have some 19 viola da gamba sets. And some of my favorites are Webber/Hill (I have read you have had some problems with them), Kuijken/Leonhardt, Savall/Koopman (second take), Perkola/Hakkinen, the aforementioned Ghielmis... The last version I purchased was Luolajan-Mikkola/Spányi (tangent piano, Bis); but I was not very impressed after two listenings.
Yes, those two sets are, IMO, a sure shot. Just for the record: last year I bought two sets that I suppossed would be great, but I was slightly disappointed: Ingrid Matthews/Byron Schenkman & Maya Homburger/Malcolm Proud. To make this clear, are fine sets, but not great.
Me too, it's a lovely recording.

I see we are doing some similar researches. I am also very interested in Csalog/Spányi; it looks quite unique.

I also have Hantaï and See. Hantaï was the first recording of these flute sonatas I had played on period intrument and still today it's one of my very favorites. Very high also rank Barthold Kujiken (DHM complete set, including the dubious sonatas) and Stephen Preston (licensed by Brilliant). 

Thanks for taking the time to go over all of this. It's helpful to me and, I suspect, to others. I'll put the violin sets you mentioned on my list. I may also have to seek out the Savall/Koopman and Perkola/Hakkinen recordings.

[Antoine Marchand]

Thanks for taking the time to go over all of this. It's helpful to me and, I suspect, to others. I'll put the violin sets you mentioned on my list. I may also have to seek out the Savall/Koopman and Perkola/Hakkinen recordings.

You're welcome! 

Perkola/Hakkinen is a beautiful set of gamba sonatas (great sound and interpretation on the reflective side) and you get some excellent bonuses, too.

[Que]

For the violin sonatas another vote for Malgoire/Rannou. Fernandez/Alard is still on the wishlist  , but I'd like to recommend an "golden Oldie": Kuijken/Leonhardt - sober and very touching!

For the Gamba sonatas another vote for Weber/Hill and the 2nd Koopman/Savall.

Q

[kishnevi]

I have the 2000 Savall/Koopman recording,  Is that their second recording?

[Que]

I have the 2000 Savall/Koopman recording,  Is that their second recording?

Absolutely - on Alia Vox.

Q

[Opus106]

Absolutely - on Alia Vox.

Q

And the one on Virgin is the other one?

[Mandryka]

I have Malgoire/Rannou and Kuijken/Leonhardt, but for a golden oldie I recommend  Galina Barinova and Sviatoslav Richter, which is even more sober and even more touching:



I once got very excited because I found a record of these sonatas with Richter and Kagan -- Kagan is one of my favourite violinists and Sv. Richter one of my favourite pianists.

Anyway, turned out to be a misattribution . It was Ka. Richter. 

[Antoine Marchand]

And the one on Virgin is the other one?

Yes, Navneeth. The first one is the 1977 EMI/Virgin recording, some time ago reissued under this cover:

[Opus106]

Thanks a bunch, Antoine.