Bach Chamber and Instrumental music

[prémont]

For a golden oldie of the violin-harpsichord sonatas I recommend Joseph Suk and Zuzana Ruzickova in their first recording of the works (Supraphon ca. 1963). The most touching interpretation of this music I ever have heard.

Obs: The Supraphon recording is probably identical with the version released on CD by Denon - I am not quite sure, but it is definitely not identical with their recording for Erato (rereleased on Apex) made a few years later.

[Mandryka]

That's interesting. I'll follow that up. I have Ruzickova playing some concertos with Ancerl(I think), and I like her style.

[kishnevi]

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

Good Lord!  I forgot I had that one too (in the re-issue format)!
Actually, I got the Virgin when it was first re-issued.  The Alia Vox came as part of my end of the year splurge, with Savall's Brandenburgs, Musical Offering and Art of Fugue.

[milk]

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.

Yeah, I'm really enjoying the Perkola/Hakkinen. Very nice!

[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).

Thanks also for the Malgoire/Rannou recommendation. I got it in the mail today. I'm making my way through it but so far it seems like a unique take on these works. It's kind of subdued, if not slightly dark. I'm looking forward to spending some time with it.

[Bulldog]

Here's an excellent recording on Alpha of the Viola da Gamba Sonatas:

[asin]B006M51FEW[/asin]

[Antoine Marchand]

Here's an excellent recording on Alpha of the Viola da Gamba Sonatas:

[asin]B006M51FEW[/asin]

Do you have a physical copy, Don?

[PaulSC]

What a coincidence! Boulanger and Pasquale's Gamba Sonatas are my most recent purchase and I was just coming here to report on my first listen. I have to agree with Don's overall assessment. Boulanger has an unusually rich tone, and the two musicians play with a fine sense of ensemble (aided by an effective recording balance, which can be a big issue in this repertoire). My only small gripe — bearing in mind I've just listened once — is that the lower register of the harpsichord sounds a bit muddy.

(Aside to Antoine: I purchased an MP3 download and cannot comment on the availability of the disc in other formats.)

[Bulldog]

Do you have a physical copy, Don?

No, I listened on NML.  I don't think it's been released yet (at least in the U.S.)

[Antoine Marchand]

No, I listened on NML.  I don't think it's been released yet (at least in the U.S.)

Thanks! Yesterday I searched for this recording, but I didn't find it. Tonight the searching was more successful.

[Antoine Marchand]

Thanks also for the Malgoire/Rannou recommendation. I got it in the mail today. I'm making my way through it but so far it seems like a unique take on these works. It's kind of subdued, if not slightly dark. I'm looking forward to spending some time with it.

You're welcome! BTW, what do you think of those Gamba Sonatas on Naxos? I think that recording hasn't received the attention that it deserves. I enjoyed not just the gamba sonatas, but also all those generous and superbly played bonuses. 

[milk]

You're welcome! BTW, what do you think of those Gamba Sonatas on Naxos? I think that recording hasn't received the attention that it deserves. I enjoyed not just the gamba sonatas, but also all those generous and superbly played bonuses. 

Thanks! I'm still working on processing the Naxos recording. I think I overloaded and confused myself with so many Gamba recordings now. But I've taken right away to the Rannou/Malgoire recording. Recently I've been enjoying Rannou a lot. Her new Goldberg is outstanding and I was enjoying her English Suites today also.

[milk]

You're welcome! BTW, what do you think of those Gamba Sonatas on Naxos? I think that recording hasn't received the attention that it deserves. I enjoyed not just the gamba sonatas, but also all those generous and superbly played bonuses. 

I tied to focus on the Naxos today seeing as how you asked me. I have so much less of a handle on the intricacies of performance than you and other commentators here because I'm just less musically educated. I know my opinion will be taken with a grain of salt. Anyway, I do enjoy the Hakkinen/Perkola recording. I think if I had to pick three recordings that sharply stand out from each other in style it would be the Naxos, the Hunninger/Pandolfo and the Ghielmi brothers. I think the Naxos is elegant, airy and contemplative. The Pandolfo can be a bit vexing sometimes. Pandolfo is just so unique, and maybe strange, in his (staccato?) playing. I love the sound quality - the balance - and improvisational feel and musicianship of that recording. But it is very personal and different - maybe too much so to be a "reference" recording (whatever that is). It's a contrast and I enjoy having contrasting recordings. When it comes to Frisch/Quintana, Crum/Cummings and even Savall/Koopman (second), I find I'm not so pleased with the production - with the balance. Or, in the case of Koopman, I'm not in love with his instrument. On the Frisch, the harpsichord is too soft; on the Cummings, the Gamba is too much in the background; and on the Savall, the harpsichord is a bit too thin. I always take Bulldog's recommendations seriously so I got the Lucile Boulanger & Arnaud De Pasquale release. I'm still listening, but so far I'm enjoying it. It has the exuberance and buoyancy that Frisch/Quintana and Crum/Cummings have without the production deficiencies. As for the extras on the Naxos, I'm still making my way through them. I still have to say how much of a pleasure the Ghielmi recording is. I think everyone interested in this music must have the Ghielmi brothers' recording!

[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).

Thanks again for the Rannou/Florence Malgoire recommendation. I really love it. This is my best purchase of the last few months.

[Antoine Marchand]

Thanks again for the Rannou/Florence Malgoire recommendation. I really love it. This is my best purchase of the last few months.

Great!

Now I have a trilogy of favorites in these violin sonatas/harpsichord trios: Kuijken/Leonhardt, Malgoire/Rannou & Fernandez/Alard. Then I'd say Ngai/Watchorn, Blumenstock/Butt and Glodeanu/Haas.

Currently I have 21 complete sets of these works (I'm sure Premont and Don have some additional versions, anyway): v. Dael/ v. Asperen (Naxos), Santos/ Belder (Brilliant Classics), Valetti/ Frisch (Alpha), Fernandez/ Alard (Flora), Blumenstock/ Butt (Harmonia Mundi), Malgoire/ Rannou (Zig-Zag Territorires), Matthews/ Schenkman, Kuijken/Leonhardt (DHM), Ngai/Watchorn (Musica Omnia), Glodeanu/Haas (Ambronay), Podger/ Pinnock (Channel Classics), Holloway/ Moroney (Virgin), Carmignola/ Marcon (Sony), Manze/ Egarr/ ter Linden  (Harmonia Mundi), Goebel/ Hill (Archive/DG, Sitkovetsky/ Hill (Hänssler), Suk/Ruzickova (Erato/ Elatus), Homburger/ Proud (Maya), Frydén/ Leonhardt (Teldec), Grumiaux/ Giordani Sartori (Philips) & Laredo/ Gould (Sony).

I would like to add Huggett/Koopman (Philips) to my collection.

If I could record a new version, I would select Amandine Beyer and Claudio Astronio as performers. It would be a nice version, isn't it?

BTW, nice review on the gamba sonatas. I totally agree with your opinions. 

[prémont]

..I'm sure Premont and Don have some additional versions, anyway..

Oh yes 17 more, but there are a couple of yours I do not have (Matthews/Schenkman,Grumiaux/Giordani-Sartori and Laredo/Gould).

BTW don´t you own Harnoncourt/Tachezi,Harnoncourt?

[Antoine Marchand]

Why Astronio, when Beyer is used to working with Céline Frisch for instance ? Beyer-Frisch, or Beyer-Joyé, that would be my choice as a producer

It's my recording! 

Frisch already recorded this collection with Valetti and I haven't listened to (the lovely) Joyé as a chamber musician so far.

Additionally, I would like to see Astronio recording some Bach (some JS, I mean, because he recorded an outstanding WF) as a harpsichordist (his approaches on the organ are top notch). He has something wild/imaginative like Amandine Beyer, but, at the same time, he is perfectly controlled, like her. His website has announced for a long time a set of these works with Guglielmo (on CPO), but years have gone and still... Besides with Astronio, I would record two extra versions of two sonatas played on the organ. It's a nice plan, believe on me. 

[Antoine Marchand]

Oh yes 17 more, but there are a couple of yours I do not have (Matthews/Schenkman,Grumiaux/Giordani-Sartori and Laredo/Gould).

I know you would like to have that Gould/Laredo... I know it! 

BTW don´t you own Harnoncourt/Tachezi,Harnoncourt?

I pre-ordered the Teldec Edition (which will be released on March and this week on JPC), so there I will get that set. 

[milk]

Great!

Now I have a trilogy of favorites in these violin sonatas/harpsichord trios: Kuijken/Leonhardt, Malgoire/Rannou & Fernandez/Alard. Then I'd say Ngai/Watchorn, Blumenstock/Butt and Glodeanu/Haas.

Currently I have 21 complete sets of these works (I'm sure Premont and Don have some additional versions, anyway): v. Dael/ v. Asperen (Naxos), Santos/ Belder (Brilliant Classics), Valetti/ Frisch (Alpha), Fernandez/ Alard (Flora), Blumenstock/ Butt (Harmonia Mundi), Malgoire/ Rannou (Zig-Zag Territorires), Matthews/ Schenkman, Kuijken/Leonhardt (DHM), Ngai/Watchorn (Musica Omnia), Glodeanu/Haas (Ambronay), Podger/ Pinnock (Channel Classics), Holloway/ Moroney (Virgin), Carmignola/ Marcon (Sony), Manze/ Egarr/ ter Linden  (Harmonia Mundi), Goebel/ Hill (Archive/DG, Sitkovetsky/ Hill (Hänssler), Suk/Ruzickova (Erato/ Elatus), Homburger/ Proud (Maya), Frydén/ Leonhardt (Teldec), Grumiaux/ Giordani Sartori (Philips) & Laredo/ Gould (Sony).

I would like to add Huggett/Koopman (Philips) to my collection.

If I could record a new version, I would select Amandine Beyer and Claudio Astronio as performers. It would be a nice version, isn't it?

BTW, nice review on the gamba sonatas. I totally agree with your opinions. 

I'm glad my impression of the Gambas doesn't seem totally off base. I'm trying to keep growing with the music and to listen more deeply.
I feel I have a ways to go...not that I'm not just enjoying it.

[Mandryka]

Lots of praise for Ingrid Matthews' beautiful recording of the solo Sonatas and Partitas, but I wonder if her performances of the Harpsichord/Violin Sonatas BWV 1014-1019 have been overlooked. She's equally masterful in the latter, Byron Schenkman is an able partner (though sadly the partnership has since dissolved and he's pursuing modern piano performance exclusively), their instruments are well matched, and the recorded sound is very good.



One of my favorite traversals of the set, alongside Van Dael/Van Asperen, Podger/Pinnock, and Kuijken/Leonhardt. (There are several others I still need to hear, notably Biondi/Alessandrini...)

He seems pretty uninspiring to me, and on spotify the balance works against the keyboard (it may be better on CD -- can anyone comment?) I listened to Byron Schenkman playing some Frescobaldi too, and I thought it wasn't very interesting.

But Ingrid Matthews is quite another matter, with her distinctive articulation, more like speech than song. She's very interesting.