Bach Chamber and Instrumental music

[Grazioso]

Any thoughts here?

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=131888

A decidedly mixed bag (and part of the first edition of the Brilliant complete Bach set, to which the same judgment applies). Worth it if the price is right, but since they sell it for $54, you may as well just buy the complete set, which sells for around $100, though the cello suites, among a few others pieces, in the new edition of the set are by a different hand.

High points: Lindberg's lute suites, Cohen's cello suites, flute sonatas by Preston, Pinnock, and Savall. Low point: Lubotsky's solo violin partitas and sonatas.

[Bogey]

A decidedly mixed bag (and part of the first edition of the Brilliant complete Bach set, to which the same judgment applies). Worth it if the price is right, but since they sell it for $54, you may as well just buy the complete set, which sells for around $100, though the cello suites, among a few others pieces, in the new edition of the set are by a different hand.

High points: Lindberg's lute suites, Cohen's cello suites, flute sonatas by Preston, Pinnock, and Savall. Low point: Lubotsky's solo violin partitas and sonatas.

Much appreciated.

[Que]

To lend a hand to some fellow posters on another thread who think that Bach played on a guitar is an option... - maybe we could do recommendations on Bach lute recordings? 
I'm curious myself what options are currently available.

I have this recording by Lutz Kirchhof, which I've always enjoyed very much. Though I'm wondering if if I don't need a "rougher", more exciting approach?
(Original issue pictured, as is a recent single CD reissue which I've only seen on German sites sofar)




Q

[Shrunk]

I can wholeheartedly recommend this 4 disc set by Nigel North.  You can purchase it (as CD or download) from the Linn website:

http://www.linnrecords.com/index.aspx

[Don]

I do not either.

I listened to "Paul B clips" of Mullova/Dantone at the Onyx website. From what I could tell, Mullova was too forward and her tone was often sour. I may be too harsh.

Blumenstock and Butt are on top for me. Then Sitkovetsky and Hill.

Thanks for the tip about the free clips.  I listened also and was very impressed, not finding Mullova too forward or in the least sour.  Loved those clips and will definitely acquire the disc.

By the way, Blumenstock/Butt is my favorite as well.

[Que]

I can wholeheartedly recommend this 4 disc set by Nigel North.  You can purchase it (as CD or download) from the Linn website:

http://www.linnrecords.com/index.aspx

Shrunk, great recommendation, very attractive with those transcriptions.

A rather negative review of the new Mullova/ Dantone (Onyx) recording of the violin sonatas has been published on Musicweb.

Yeaaaah! Jed Distler has done a 10/10 on this recording here.


I guess what we really need is your review - Don!?
You'll probably will be writing one anyway - please don't forget to post it here as well.

Q

[George]

Que, with reviews that diametrically opposed, I'd say it's a must buy! 

[prémont]

Que, with reviews that diametrically opposed, I'd say it's a must buy! 

Having listened to these Mullova/Dantone recordings twice by now I can say, that they are indeed very good, but regarding the strong competition not a must-have. There are a few shortcomings. The worst is the balance, which favours the violin too much. And the fillers are a bit strange. 

I can add, that tempi generally are fast and easy with natural phrasing and stylish and clear articulation, almost always true to the sources. Agogics also natural except in the first movement of the b-minor and the A-major sonata. The expression is IMO overdone here and seems a tad mannered. And like most of his collegues Dantone doesn´t know what to make of the strange Cembalo Solo movement of the G-major sonata.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Just checked amazon for a price:

Someone needs to reissue it on the cheap!

Barring that this set used to be available on individual discs. Might be a better way to go.

[Que]

I can wholeheartedly recommend this 4 disc set by Nigel North.  You can purchase it (as CD or download) from the Linn website:

http://www.linnrecords.com/index.aspx

In the mean time I got this 4CD set and wholeheartedly second Shrunk's recommendation.
I incidentally got it in its previous incarnation that is still floating around at bargain prices (check MDT)



Transcriptions of the sonatas and partitas for violin solo and of the cello suites.
They sound absolutely convincing and enjoyable in their own right. Crisp, articulated and flowing playing.
The instrument sounds marvelous and it is beautifully recorded.
If you like Bach and lute playing - this is a must!

Q

[FideLeo]

In the mean time I got this 4CD set and wholeheartedly second Shrunk's recommendation.
I incidentally got it in its previous incarnation that is still floating around at bargain prices (check MDT)

North adds his own harmonisations (chords, arpeggios) to make this string music work on his instrument.  Whether these additives work well will be for each listener to decide.   To these ears they can sometimes sound slightly distracting, especially in the "cello" suites.  Also, like in Paolo Pandolfo's transcriptions for the viola da gamba, several suites have to be transposed to a different key.  This is not meant as criticism since jsb did the same for his own transcription (c minor BWV 1011 to g minor BWV 995).

BTW, the new incarnation also sells at a bargain price (that is 4 for 1), at least at amazon.  That is very nice, Linn! 

[Que]

              click picture for samples

I got this recently, after considering the wealth of HIP recordings now available!
I already had the 1st Kuijken/Leonhardt recording and sampled the other contenders extensively in a shop or I had to make do with on line snippets. The other candidates were: Blumenstock/Butt (HM); Goebel/Hill (DG Archiv); Biondi/Alessandrini (Opus 111); Rônez/Kubitscheck (Winter & Winter); Carmignola/Marcon (Sony); Montanari/Rousset (Naïve); Busch/Johannsen (Carus); Mullova/Dantone (Onyx) and Valetti/Frisch (Alpha). An incredibly impressive line up... The last two were the runners up.

I was looking for a recording that is not too austere (Blumenstock/Butt) or takes an overtly virtuosic/"brilliant" approach, considering the intimate and inward looking nature of these pieces (a number of these here, but Biondi/Alessandrini is a clear example). Some were (relatively) less inspired: Rônez/Kubitscheck and Busch/Johannsen, or are clearly out of touch with Bach's idiom (Montanari/Rousset). Of major importance was also the balance between the two instruments (on equal footing) and the "chemistry" between them in terms of complementarity and unity in style and above all: the rapport between them.

I was a bit apprehensive to go with Malgoire and Rannou, since Florence Malgoire is not (yet) a big name and this recording has attracted rather little interest amongst reviewers and collectors alike. When sampling, this recording made the impression of being intimate, idiomatic, and with a intense and tight collaborating between the players. And all of this is confirmed now I have gone through it several times. And I like it more and more each time I'm listening.
The performance is modest, intimate and sensitive but very "playful", spirited and expressive at the same time. The approach is rather "free" and highly imaginative, fast movements swift but not too fast, slow movements quite slow but with a strong "pulse". Within movements they use subtle rubato. The interplay between the players is exemplary: they feel as "one", with the violin "swirling" around the harpsichord. I discover new things each time.

The recording itself is up to the exceptionally high standards of Zig Zag: clear and very natural.
Highly recommended.

For those of you who master the German language, I've attached a very interesting review which also discusses the various technical aspects of the musical approach here.

Q

[SonicMan46]

 
           
I got this recently, after considering the wealth of HIP recordings now available! ........................

Q - thanks for the 'line-up' and excellent comments; I've not explored these works for years, and in checking my collection, all that I had was a single disc of 3 of the sonatas w/ very young looking Martha Argerich & Mischa Maisky; BTW, an excellent performance & recording on 'modern' instruments (from the mid-80s, probably near the time I purchased it!).

But I would certainly like to obtain a 'complete' set of these works and in a HIP fashion - need to check if that recording you're recommending is available in the US - thanks again!  Dave

[Que]

Q - thanks for the 'line-up' and excellent comments; I've not explored these works for years, and in checking my collection, all that I had was a single disc of 3 of the sonatas w/ very young looking Martha Argerich & Mischa Maisky; BTW, an excellent performance & recording on 'modern' instruments (from the mid-80s, probably near the time I purchased it!).

But I would certainly like to obtain a 'complete' set of these works and in a HIP fashion - need to check if that recording you're recommending is available in the US - thanks again!  Dave

Dave, thanks for your kind remarks!
Maybe you've mixed up the violin sonatas and the gamba sonatas (in non-HIP recordings played on a cello). If that means that you're not very familiar with the violin sonatas, which have lingered in the shadow of their more famous sisters - the sonatas and partitas for violin solo, you're in for a very pleasant surprise indeed!

As for the sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord, I'm afraid I can't offer a comparative review. But I very much enjoy the recording by Koopman and Savall pictured below and you can find other recommendations earlier on this thread. And I'm sure that now we are on the topic others will pitch in as well!



Q

[SonicMan46]

Dave, thanks for your kind remarks!
Maybe you've mixed up the violin sonatas and the gamba sonatas (in non-HIP recordings played on a cello). If that means that you're not very familiar with the violin sonatas, which have lingered in the shadow of their more famous sisters - the sonatas and partitas for violin solo, you're in for a very pleasant surprise indeed!

As for the sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord, I'm afraid I can't offer a comparative review. But I very much enjoy the recording by Koopman and Savall pictured below and you can find other recommendations earlier on this thread. And I'm sure that now we are on the topic others will pitch in as well!

Q - Oh My!    You got me so excited w/ that cover & comments that I failed to look (and me being a radiologist!).  But, I do have a couple sets of the Bach Violin Sonatas, already - Wallfisch & Nicholson, excellent Hyperion Dyad bargin & Grumiaux & Jaccottet, another bargin on Philips Duo.

So, despite my confusion, I do need a complete set of the Cello Sonatas, and love Savall, so will add that name to my wish list - thanks, again.  Dave 

[Valentino]

Who's playing the second movement of KC 5 here?

[Shrunk]

In the mean time I got this 4CD set and wholeheartedly second Shrunk's recommendation.
I incidentally got it in its previous incarnation that is still floating around at bargain prices (check MDT)



Transcriptions of the sonatas and partitas for violin solo and of the cello suites.
They sound absolutely convincing and enjoyable in their own right. Crisp, articulated and flowing playing.
The instrument sounds marvelous and it is beautifully recorded.
If you like Bach and lute playing - this is a must!

Q

Glad you enjoyed it.  I've since purchased this disc as well:



Bach Lute Works, Vol. I.  Paul O'Dette (Harmonia Mundi)

Compared to North, O'Dette has a lighter touch and pays more attention the dance-like rhythms of the works.  North, OTOH, draws a wider palette of tonal colours from his instrument, which he uses to produce dramatic contrasts between phrases.  Both are excellent to my ears and I suspect I'll be picking up the remaining volumes in O'Dette's series as they are released.

[Don]

Have Hopkinson-Smith's recordings of this music (Naive) been overlooked? 

Not anymore.

[Shrunk]

Not anymore.

I've considered getting Hopkinson Smith's disc, as well, though it's a bit pricy.  I have his Dowland disc and, while the playing is exemplary, it's marred somewhat by excessively reverberant sound.  It's as if they covered the Carlsbad caves with ceramic tiles and used them as a recording studio.  Does the Bach disc have similar sound?

[Que]

Q - just added the Koopman-Savall performance of these works (pic put in above) to my collection - I believe that you've commented on that one, also - how do these two recordings differ, e.g. instruments used?  Thanks, as usual - Dave 

Dave, happy to make some comments on this.
I'll also take my recent purchase of the issue by Quintana and Frisch into account.

First, I think the Savall/Koopman remains my first choice. The Quintana/Frisch has swift tempi and a very infectious dash. Céline Frisch is an absolute joy - beautiful crystal-clear and detailed playing. Quintana has a nice, deep tone and his playing has a lot of character, but I think that with all that dash, he swoops over the details and his playing ultimately lacks sufficient profundity .

The Weber/Hill is a different story altogether. Moderately swift but tightly controlled tempi, this is a warm, "straight" and sober but nobel performance, compared with the more "bigger"/ "theatrical" gestures by Savall/Koopman. Carefully phrased and beautifully detailed. The use of the lute-harpsichord instead of a harpsichord adds to the attraction and makes this recording quite unique. So if you'd like a second version, this will be complementary both in style as sound-wise.

Q