Bach's Violin Sonatas & Partitas (solo)

[San Antone]

When I hear Bach solo violin playing like that it reminds me exactly why I tell people that I prefer these works to the cello suites.  Thanks for the clip.

[xochitl]

This sounds like a must hear. Is this the recording you're talking about?

[asin]B000003XKJ[/asin]

thats the one

[aukhawk]

Haendel's been in my 'rejects' pile for 15 years or more.
Prompted by these recent comments I dug her out for a bit of a listen.

Sorry, can't agree.  Scratchy tone, close unflattering acoustic, plodding performance.  I don't think anyone's missing much here.

[Mandryka]

Do you think it's the sign of a really "great" performance, that it divides opinions like that?

[aukhawk]

Well, focussing just on Haendel's performance and ignoring the recording issues (which is difficult for me to do) - hers is certainly a very serious-minded approach, and that's maybe just a bit unfashionable these days, in secular Bach.

[Mandryka]

Well, focussing just on Haendel's performance and ignoring the recording issues (which is difficult for me to do) - hers is certainly a very serious-minded approach, and that's maybe just a bit unfashionable these days, in secular Bach.

Do you not think Holloway is also serious? it's another favourite of mine.

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Martzy, Menuhin, and Grumiaux are my favorites among the recordings I own. I have a difficult time getting excited about either Heifetz or Milstein in this repertoire; they do not seem to have much feeling for this music, and their performances seem like dry exercises. No one can equal Martzy for sheer beauty of tone in this repertoire IMO.

A recent discovery is Leonid Kogan. I cannot find these issued commercially as a complete set;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu7Hxjy8LYc

[Mandryka]

A recent discovery is Leonid Kogan. I cannot find these issued commercially as a complete set;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu7Hxjy8LYc

This is a very rare recording, if it is indeed authentic. How do we know it really is Leonid Kogan?

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

I don't know; maybe it was really Joyce Hatto.    Seriously, that is a good question for any YouTube video, especially for ones with no actual video (picture only). I saw that he also recorded the Partita No. 3, which is available on a CD with one of the Prokofiev sonatas. It is really a shame that Oistrakh never recorded these (AFAIK).

[San Antone]

I very much love these works; even more than the cello suites.  I have been listening to this recording and think it very fine.

[asin]B00097HE8U[/asin]

[prémont]

It is really a shame that Oistrakh never recorded these (AFAIK).

He recorded the first sonata. This was BTW my introduction to this work.

[xochitl]

just heard that oistrakh recording out of curiosity as ive never really been exposed to his violinism and it's all kinds of awesome!

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

I was listening to more of the Milstein EMI set, and I have to take back my previous comment; actually it is an excellent recording--technically stunning and very musical. The sound and Milstein's tone are both a bit difficult to take, especially at first, as they seem quite brittle and scratchy. No one is a bigger fan of historic monos than me, but there certainly are better sounding solo violin recordings from this time period.

[Pat B]

I was listening to more of the Milstein EMI set, and I have to take back my previous comment; actually it is an excellent recording--technically stunning and very musical. The sound and Milstein's tone are both a bit difficult to take, especially at first, as they seem quite brittle and scratchy. No one is a bigger fan of historic monos than me, but there certainly are better sounding solo violin recordings from this time period.

I haven't listened to these in a while, but I found his DG set to be a similar performance but in 1970s sound instead of 1950s sound. IIRC the biggest difference is that the DG recording is much more reverberant, which in this case I like, but not everybody does.

There is a video of him playing the Chaconne at his last recital in 1986. It's not my favorite version, but it is better than many live performances and shows that he never lost it.

After your previous post I listened to Grumiaux's Chaconne and thought it was in the same vein as (my recollection of) Milstein.

[Mandryka]

Also, any thoughts on this somewhat recent release by Christine Busch on Herreweghe's Phi label?

Possibly overarticulated, like Chorzempa in the organ music. The result is structurally clear. Slowish tempos make the performances seem reflective. I'm glad to have heard it.

[aukhawk]

I've been listening to a lot of these recently, while planning a possible Blind Comparison later in the year - as has been remarked before in this thread, it's unusual to find a version of this music that isn't enjoyable - I think currently my three favourites are Ibragimova, Fischer and Beyer.  But even if none of those three were available, it would be very easy to pick three more that are excellent, and then three more again.

[Wakefield]

A week ago I learned that the sonatas & partitas performed by Stefano Montanari, originally released by the Italian magazine Amadeus, will be re-released around October or November on the Spanish label Cantus.

I think it's a good news. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p0lxYNBoD4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwr8z4cRRec

[Que]

A week ago I learned that the sonatas & partitas performed by Stefano Montanari, originally released by the Italian magazine Amadeus, will be re-released around October or November on the Spanish label Cantus.

I think it's a good news. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p0lxYNBoD4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwr8z4cRRec

Sound like great news!

Q

[aukhawk]

Noteworthy that for a limited time, we have Ibragimova playing the Sonatas and Partitas on BBC iPlayer, from recent late-night performances at the Proms in the Royal Albert Hall. 
The slow movements are played with great serenity and introspection, and visually she cuts a small and lonely figure in a vast darkened space - though actually the audience are very close in these concerts.  I can't help wondering how it sounded in some of the remoter parts of that cavernous hall - I've known the Leningrad PO sound underpowered in the RAH!

Links (nb for about 4 weeks only):
Sonata 1
Partita 1
Sonata 2
the remaining 3 haven't yet been broadcast on TV (scheduled next Thursday I think) but should become available on iPlayer after that broadcast.

[prémont]

Links (nb for about 4 weeks only):
Sonata 1
Partita 1
Sonata 2

Dommage! Disponible uniquement au Royaume-Uni.