Your Favorite Recordings of Bach's 6 Sonatas for Violin and keyboard

[Bulldog]

Just checked my collection.  I don't have an apparently have never heard two of the recordings I voted for.   

Totally unacceptable.  You're not voting in any of my future polls.

[Daverz]

I would have voted for Biondi/Allesandrini.

[Scarpia]

This poll should be reopened!
At least there are some bronze medals at stake!

You can remove my vote for Holloway and for Grumiaux.   

[DarkAngel]

I have 4-5 sets now, but this discussion has "forced" me to put the Blandine Rannou set in the buy basket, I have really enjoyed her other Bach releases

Much cheaper for me to buy from UK vendor, but still waiting for stuff purchased from 2-3 weeks ago delayed by volcano cloud from UK to USA......I hope this issue has been resolved by now

[SonicMan46]

I have 4-5 sets now, but this discussion has "forced" me to put the Blandine Rannou set in the buy basket, I have really enjoyed her other Bach releases

DA - me too!    Will probably be my 4th set - thought that 3 would be enough - hope to enjoy from the comments made in this thread - 

[Marc]

I have 4-5 sets now, but this discussion has "forced" me to put the Blandine Rannou set in the buy basket, I have really enjoyed her other Bach releases

DA - me too!    Will probably be my 4th set - thought that 3 would be enough - hope to enjoy from the comments made in this thread - 

Got it today, and listened to some Van Dael/Van Asperen, Podger/Pinnock and this 'new' one, too.
On first (selected) hearing: if I could vote again, I would certainly include Malgoire/Rannou into my Top 5, instead of (probably) Grumiaux/Jaccottet.

And, if one might not like the girls' interpretation, then there's still the sound quality of this ZigZag production: SUPERB!

[prémont]

Do you have that Terakado/Henstra set, Don? It looks very enticing to me.

I recently (two days ago) acquired this. It is pure and rather introvert, and the acoustical and musical balance between Terakado and Henstra is good. And yes, Henstra plays the strange middle movement of the G-major Sonata a bit too pedestrian.

[Antoine Marchand]

I recently (two days ago) acquired this. It is pure and rather introvert, and the acoustical and musical balance between Terakado and Henstra is good. And yes, Henstra plays the strange middle movement of the G-major Sonata a bit too pedestrian.

"Pure" and "introvert" is rather my image about Terakado's style. Poetic at his best.

[prémont]

"Pure" and "introvert" is rather my image about Terakado's style. Poetic at his best.

Given the recording date of the violin-harpsichord Sonatas I expected an interpretation like that, but I think he has matured and become a little more individually expressive during the last years, and his recent recording of Bach´s cello suites offers the most poetic playing I have heard from him so far, a great achievement IMO.

[staxomega]

Anyone have suggestions for performances with piano?

I've been listening to this one recently of Erick Friedman and Bruce Prince Joseph, I believe it's the first time it is out on CD



Friedman has a wonderful expressive, singing quality but I don't think the harpsichord is a great match with him. I didn't play my previous version Podger/Pinnock much either but do enjoy Gould/Laredo, though I think Laredo's playing could be more interesting. So this leads me to look for other piano versions. Thanks.

[Mandryka]

Anyone have suggestions for performances with piano

One which could be your cup of tea is Dautricourt/Pohjonen on a label called La Dolce Volta.

[staxomega]

One which could be your cup of tea is Dautricourt/Pohjonen on a label called La Dolce Volta.

Thank you, I really enjoyed what I heard from 1014. Beautifully sentimental first movement and buoyant in the faster movements. The piano is such a wonderful instrument for these works

[Irons]

Anyone have suggestions for performances with piano?

I've been listening to this one recently of Erick Friedman and Bruce Prince Joseph, I believe it's the first time it is out on CD



Friedman has a wonderful expressive, singing quality but I don't think the harpsichord is a great match with him. I didn't play my previous version Podger/Pinnock much either but do enjoy Gould/Laredo, though I think Laredo's playing could be more interesting. So this leads me to look for other piano versions. Thanks.

I listened to Gould/Laredo earlier this week. The three versions I own Suk/Ruzickova on both Erato and Supraphon and Oistrach/Pischner on DG are with harpsichord and I wished to hear a piano in these pieces. I agree that Gould and Laredo is not ideal but not sure if Laredo is at fault. Gould was a huge personality and not a team player who I think would overshadow any violinist.

[johnlewisgrant]

You have five selections among the thirty-six choices.  Mine are:

Blumenstock/Butt
van Dael/van Asperen
Carmignola/Marcon
Kuijken/Leonhardt
Ronez/Kubitschek

Terakado has been mentioned.   For anyone who is inclined, I found these on soundcloud.   

https://soundcloud.com/ryo-terakado/sonata-iv-for-violin


Some of the most endearing of Bach's work, along with the Trio Sonatas (starting with the Organ versions bwv 525-30).  Hard not to find something to love in almost every interpretation.   Unlike, say, the WTC bks 1 and 2, or any of Bach's Passions, which CAN, for me at least, be completely wrecked!

[andolink]

Reading through this thread I was a little surprised to see no one mention the Chiara Banchini / Jörg-Andreas Bötticher  recording on the (now defunct) Zig Zag label.  These are wonderful performances in beautifully recorded sound.

I also love the Hugget/Koopman set.

[North Star]

Reading through this thread I was a little surprised to see no one mention the Chiara Banchini / Jorg-Andreas Botticher  recording on the (now defunct) Zig Zag label.  These are wonderful performances in beautifully recorded sound.

It's my only set and I enjoy it very much indeed.

[milk]

Aside from Malgoire/Rannou and Blumenstock/Butt, these are two that I've found rewarding. I've been on a binge the last few days with these sonatas. It's interesting how variable the violin is, even just the baroque violin. It almost sounds like Malgoire is tuning lower except she isn't. But in terms of just timbre, Barton Pine has a superbly rich and low-ish tone. I think She and Vinikour delivery a sensitive performance. Strangely, none of these teams go for the kind of sound that Malgoire/Rannou do. Compared to Rannou, the harpsichords in other recordings seem rather muffled and the violins reverberant (on a spectrum from somewhat to very). Anyway, I think the Pine/vinakour is particularly fluid.

[SonicMan46]

Recent Additions - Deletions - Current Recommendations for Bach's Violin & Keyboard Sonatas?

This thread was started back in 2010 and reactivated last year after an 8-year hiatus - I'm currently going through my JS Bach collection looking for replacements and a need to cull-down the number of CDs owned (just want more storage space and fewer but excellent options). Shown below are the current 5 double-CD sets that I own (will do some comparison listening tomorrow) - the bottom image shows Don's (Bulldog) opening post from this thread - I've added current price listings on Amazon USA - SO - any thoughts on my opening bolded title to this post?  Comments appreciated - thanks.  Dave

P.S. different KB recommendations (e.g. piano, fortepiano, etc.) are fine w/ me.

       

[Mandryka]

I think you should try some recordings with violin and organ, eg Gester and Pierot, Ensemble SDG vol. 3. If you find the old thread on Bach's chamber music you'll see a lot of discussion about this.

The most interesting recent release with violin and harpsichord for me is Agsteribbe. Agsteribbe with Neve and Szeryng with Walcha are the ones I seem to listen to most right now, not necessarily for any good reason.

I haven't heard Ronez, I'll listen to it soon, so thanks for drawing my attention to it.

Violin is like voice, you can have strong and irrational positive and negative reactions, it's almost a sexual thing. You just have to suck everything and see.

[Selig]

This is on my potential gem radar: early HIP with Anneke Uittenbosch and Jaap Schröder, two interesting musicians

I'm guessing it never made it to CD?