GMG Classical Music Forum

I have heard only a little of the violin works, but I like them a lot more than the works for cello. And those suites are probably the only works in Bach's catalogue which do not get me as excited as any of his keyboard, orchestral or choral output do. They're only near the bottom of my favourite Bach works, not of all music. :)

You may also mention the recordings that you'd like to have at The Island.*  





Standard Desert Island^TM rules apply.

The cello for me, by a wide margin. My favorite recording is the Fournier -- not the DG which is great but another recording I have. I also have a soft spot for the Starker.

I have to go with the Suites for Cello.  My favorite is Paolo Beschi on Winter & Winter.

Rachel Podger

Rostropovich.

Quote from: Franco on August 12, 2009, 06:44:04 AM
Rachel Podger

Rostropovich.

And your choice for The Island being... ?

To me, the solo sonatas are some of the best works ever written for the violin; but I much prefer the cello suites to the violin partitas, except the chaconne.
On recordings, I take Szering and first Starker, Tortellier and Fournier.

Quote from: DFO on August 12, 2009, 07:11:50 AM
To me, the solo sonatas are some of the best works ever written for the violin; but I much prefer the cello suites to the violin partitas, except the chaconne.
On recordings, I take Szering and first Starker, Tortellier and Fournier.

Et tu? :(


Oh, and as per the Standard Desert Island Rules, you're allowed to take only one set of recordings. Either all works in the set by performer x; or work 1 by performer x1, work 2 by performer x 2 (x1 and x2 can be the same), and so on. :)

Quote from: opus106 on August 12, 2009, 06:54:30 AM
And your choice for The Island being... ?

I can only have one?   ???

The cello suites are beautiful to my ear, while those violin works sound like tedious mechanical exercises.

Quote from: Franco on August 12, 2009, 07:23:41 AM
I can only have one?   ???

Yes, sir. That's the whole point of the poll. 0:)

I refuse this poll.

I'm pretty sure if I brought a usb stick I could easily accommodate all of these works.  Just saying. :)

Quote from: Franco on August 12, 2009, 07:31:08 AM
I refuse this poll.

Thanks for being so polite. My Desert Island polls are usually known to result in people cursing me. ;D

Quote from: DavidW on August 12, 2009, 07:38:09 AM
I'm pretty sure if I brought a usb stick I could easily accommodate all of these works.  Just saying. :)

Yeah, why not bring your music collection on that 160 GB iPod along with a solar-powered+wind-powered iPod charger. :P

Quote from: opus106 on August 12, 2009, 07:42:49 AM
Yeah, why not bring your music collection on that 160 GB iPod along with a solar-powered+wind-powered iPod charger. :P

Good idea, it would easily hold the complete works of Bach! :)

Quote from: DavidW on August 12, 2009, 07:44:29 AM
Good idea, it would easily hold the complete works of Bach! :)

And more, surely (http://www.bachpod.com/index.php?L=2).

Quote from: opus106 on August 12, 2009, 07:52:15 AM
And more, surely (http://www.bachpod.com/index.php?L=2).

Yup we could also squeeze in the complete works of Telemann. :)  Had they been recorded. :'(

My desert  island pick is Gregory Fulkerson's recording of the violin suites.

Incomparable..........IMHO ;)

Quote from: opus106 on August 12, 2009, 06:31:38 AM
And those suites are probably the only works in Bach's catalogue which do not get me as excited as any of his keyboard, orchestral or choral output do.

Complete, complete opposites of the spectrum.  The Cello Suites, by far, are my favorite Bach works, followed by the Solo Violin Suites.  And, I get way, way more excited about these than the rest of Bach.

Casals for the Cello Suites (because that's the only set I have).  Just wish the sound was a lot better.

Cello Suites for sure!

To be specific, Wispelwey's recording of the suites on Channel Classics. (the newer of his two recordings)

Definitely the Cello Suites, and probably Fournier. 8)  The Violin Partitas give me a headache (literally). :P

Quote from: Bulldog on August 12, 2009, 06:40:05 AM
I have to go with the Suites for Cello.  My favorite is Paolo Beschi on Winter & Winter.

Cello suites.

And, yes, Beschi is such an amazing advocate for these works.

Cello 'n' Casals all the way!

Okay, after listening to both the Cello Suites (Fournier) and the Solo Violin Sonatas & Partitas (Podger), I can now say that I would prefer the violin pieces to the cello set.

The sound of the violin, at least from Rachel Podger, is enchantingly beuatiful, and lighter, not as dark as the cello - which all adds up to my ear becoming less tired from extended listening, which, on a desert island, would be an issue.

Quote from: Franco on August 13, 2009, 05:46:55 AM
The sound of the violin, at least from Rachel Podger, is enchantingly beuatiful, and lighter, not as dark as the cello - which all adds up to my ear becoming less tired from extended listening, which, on a desert island, would be an issue.

I think that in general treble-y music is more exhausting to listen to.  Listening to solo violin music is easily fatiguing while the same can't be said for the cello.

In fact I was thinking of it more, and to me I think why I dislike those famous solo violin works is that the violin by itself is simply too bright, listening to only it is simply too exhausting.  I think that's why it's usually coupled with something bassy to give a fuller range.  Violin sonata = violin & piano, string quartet = cello in the mix, piano trio= piano and cello, orchestra=well duh!

Now a piano stands on it's own easily because of it's full range, it doesn't assault the ears with the aggressive forward sound a violin makes, nor is it stuck with a dark sound like the cello.  No it offers the world in one instrument, it's the only I can think of that can really hold it's own. 8)

Quote from: DavidW on August 13, 2009, 05:57:00 AM
I think that in general treble-y music is more exhausting to listen to.  Listening to solo violin music is easily fatiguing while the same can't be said for the cello.

Obviously, we disagree.

:)

Quote from: DavidW on August 13, 2009, 06:08:09 AM
In fact I was thinking of it more, and to me I think why I dislike those famous solo violin works is that the violin by itself is simply too bright, listening to only it is simply too exhausting. 

Absolutely.

Quote
Now a piano stands on it's own easily because of it's full range, it doesn't assault the ears with the aggressive forward sound a violin makes, nor is it stuck with a dark sound like the cello.  No it offers the world in one instrument, it's the only I can think of that can really hold it's own. 8)

Piano is king!  $:)

Quote from: Franco on August 13, 2009, 05:46:55 AM
Okay, after listening to both the Cello Suites (Fournier) and the Solo Violin Sonatas & Partitas (Podger), I can now say that I would prefer the violin pieces to the cello set.

The sound of the violin, at least from Rachel Podger, is enchantingly beuatiful, and lighter, not as dark as the cello - which all adds up to my ear becoming less tired from extended listening, which, on a desert island, would be an issue.

Interesting exercise: to compare two HIP sets with one another, and then two non-HIP/old-school sets. :)

Quote from: DavidW on August 13, 2009, 06:08:09 AM
No it offers the world in one instrument, it's the only I can think of that can really hold it's own. 8)

The organ!

King Harry already declared it as the Master of all Instruments. 0:)

Quote from: DavidW on August 13, 2009, 06:08:09 AM
Now a piano stands on it's own easily because of it's full range, it doesn't assault the ears with the aggressive forward sound a violin makes, nor is it stuck with a dark sound like the cello.  No it offers the world in one instrument, it's the only I can think of that can really hold it's own. 8)

Organ and guitar as well.  :)

Snare drum, actually.

Don't believe me - try it yourself.


;)

Right, yeah I will add the organ to the list, didn't think of that. :)

David/Franco,

Why don't you compromise and take half of each set of suites, both played by the Viola!  :D

Quote from: ChamberNut on August 13, 2009, 08:03:18 AM
David/Franco,

Why don't you compromise and take half of each set of suites, both played by the Viola!  :D

That sounds like a good compromise. :)

Quote from: DavidW on August 13, 2009, 08:19:19 AM
That sounds like a good compromise. :)

The Desert Island Rules are, of course, uncompromising. >:D

Quote from: opus106 on August 13, 2009, 08:33:05 AM
The Desert Island Rules are, of course, uncompromising. >:D

Rules are meant to be broken!  Let chaos rule!!!  >:D $:) >:D

Neither!  >:D

I'd rather be stranded in the company of the keyboard music and the cantatas.

I can't pretend to be very knowledgable with Bach, but these two works are my favourites of his. As nice as the violin pieces are, if forced to pick one, the cello suites become a natural choice due to the perfect balance of the six - each one an incredible piece of music, with diverse moods and perfect contrasts.

Definitely the violin suites/sonatas!

Violin all the way!!

Quote from: Wanderer on August 13, 2009, 12:32:54 PM
Neither!  >:D

I'd rather be stranded in the company of the keyboard music and the cantatas.

Sir, we are talking about an island in the middle of no-where devoid of any sign of civilisation -- not Heaven.

;)

Quote from: opus106 on August 14, 2009, 05:02:13 AM
Sir, we are talking about an island in the middle of no-where devoid of any sign of civilisation...

;)

Hence the options?  >:D  ;)

If I must choose a set I shall definitely opt for the Cello suites (Sigiswald Kuijkens recording on violoncello da spalla). But I rate the b-minor violin partita higher than any of the cello suites.