Document

  1988
    December 1988
        Instrumental
                Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin.

Bach [Sonata] Sonatas and [Partita] Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV1001-06. Nathan Milstein (vn).

DG (Mid price) (CD) 423 294-2GCM2 (two discs, nas: 126 minutes: ADD). From 2709 047 (4/75).

[Sonata] Sonatas – No. 1 in G minor; No. 2 in A minor; No. 3 in C major. [Partita] Partitas – No. 1 in B minor; No. 2 in D minor; No. 3 in E major.

Bach [Sonata] Sonatas and [Partita] Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV1001-06. Sandor Vegh (vn).

Auvidis Valois (Full price) (CD) V4427 (two discs, nas: 125 minutes: AAD). From EK6 35344 (8/77).

Bach [Sonata] Sonatas and [Partita] Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV1001-06. Itzhak Perlman (vn).

EMI (Full price) (LP) EX749483-1 (two records, nas); (Cassette) EX749483-4; (CD) CDS7 49483-2 (two discs, nas: 143 minutes: DDD)

Selected CD comparisons:

Sitkovetsky (3/87) C130862H

Shumsky (9/87) DCD454

Sifting of the proliferating CD versions of these works has so far left Sitkovetsky and Shumsky in the sieve; now, with three more to be added, it has to be reshaken.

These works are brutally difficult to play, not least in securing accurate intonation and in minimizing the disruptive effect of hacking out the three- and four-note chords—Telmanyi's 'Bach Vega' bow (Danacord/Impetus DAC0147/8, 11/85) never did catch on—but, given today's Olympian standards, technical shortcomings may be tolerated (with gritted teeth) only in performances that are musically relevatory. Unfortunately, Vegh's recording fails this basic test: even an 'aural Nelson' could scarcely turn a deaf ear to many woeful lapses of intonation—the worst in the celebrated Chaconne of Partita No. 2, to which he also makes sundry 'home improvements' of his own, and his violin too often barks so loudly that it gets a sore throat. As if that were not enough he makes a heavy meal of chords—but not of second-half repeats, most of which he leaves on Bach's plate. There are some engagingly played movements, e.g. the Grave in Sonata No. 2 and the Largo of Sonata No. 3, but not enough swallows to make a summer. We pass on: Milstein's recording also appeared originally on LP and was well received by MM at the time, but time too has moved on. His technical polish is far brighter than Vegh's and he is more consistently musical—if occasionally a little mechanical, as in the Allemande of Partita No. 2. On the whole he is quite agile in traversing the chords, but not those in the massive fugue of Sonata No. 3 where the difficulty shows in their heaviness and moments of dubious intonation, neither does the preceding Adagio sound too comfortable. Like Vegh, Milstein seems uncertain about trills—whether to introduce them where they are unwritten but implied and, whatever their status, whether they start from the main note or the auxiliary. They also share a reluctance to play second-half repeats and Milstein omits the reprise of Menuet 2 in Partita No. 3 (as also does Sitkovetsky). In the Allemande of Partita No. 1 he 'reverses' the Lombardic rhythm in bar 6. Elsewhere there is much splendid fiddling and good, expressive Bach playing, but the former sometimes triumphs over the latter. I think 4/10 for Vegh and 6/10 for Milstein is about right.

Perlman's recording is new—and it scores 7 1/2/10. Technically he is beyond reproach; chords are traversed deftly—and in the Adagio of Sonata No. 3 skilfully subjugated to the melodic line, and his differentiation between marked pianos and fortes is very clear. There is brilliance in the faster movements, delicacy in the galanteries, and except perhaps for the Allemande of Partita No. 2, grave expressiveness in the slower ones; stylistic misfits are far fewer than those of Vegh or Milstein, and all repeats are offered—usually with some changes of dynamics. As the coupling of the names of Bach and Perlman is not one that has readily sprung to mind, a point EG puts to Perlman himself on page 967, this recording came as a pleasant surprise.

All this said, first place still goes to Shumsky (ASV), leading Sitkovetsky (Orfeo/Harmonia Mundi) by a short head—9+/10 to 9–/10, both offer deeper insight into, and more stylistic felicity in, these monumental works. What wouldn't we give for a recording (even a wax cylinder) of Bach himself playing them—though all the above are recorded with a fidelity that Edison could only have dreamed of.

JD



		Sifting of the proliferating CD versions of these works has so far left Sitkovetsky and Shumsky in the sieve; now, with three more to be added, it has to be reshaken.



		These works are brutally difficult to play, not least in securing accurate intonation and in minimizing the disruptive effect of hacking out the three- and four-note chords—Telmanyi's 'Bach Vega' bow (Danacord/Impetus DAC0147/8, 11/85) never did catch on—but, given today's Olympian standards, technical shortcomings may be tolerated (with gritted teeth) only in performances that are musically relevatory. Unfortunately, Vegh's recording fails this basic test: even an 'aural Nelson' could scarcely turn a deaf ear to many woeful lapses of intonation—the worst in the celebrated Chaconne of Partita No. 2, to which he also makes sundry 'home improvements' of his own, and his violin too often barks so loudly that it gets a sore throat. As if that were not enough he makes a heavy meal of chords—but not of second-half repeats, most of which he leaves on Bach's plate. There are some engagingly played movements, e.g. the Grave in Sonata No. 2 and the Largo of Sonata No. 3, but not enough swallows to make a summer. We pass on: Milstein's recording also appeared originally on LP and was well received by MM at the time, but time too has moved on. His technical polish is far brighter than Vegh's and he is more consistently musical—if occasionally a little mechanical, as in the Allemande of Partita No. 2. On the whole he is quite agile in traversing the chords, but not those in the massive fugue of Sonata No. 3 where the difficulty shows in their heaviness and moments of dubious intonation, neither does the preceding Adagio sound too comfortable. Like Vegh, Milstein seems uncertain about trills—whether to introduce them where they are unwritten but implied and, whatever their status, whether they start from the main note or the auxiliary. They also share a reluctance to play second-half repeats and Milstein omits the reprise of Menuet 2 in Partita No. 3 (as also does Sitkovetsky). In the Allemande of Partita No. 1 he 'reverses' the Lombardic rhythm in bar 6. Elsewhere there is much splendid fiddling and good, expressive Bach playing, but the former sometimes triumphs over the latter. I think 4/10 for Vegh and 6/10 for Milstein is about right.



		Perlman's recording is new—and it scores 7 1/2/10. Technically he is beyond reproach; chords are traversed deftly—and in the Adagio of Sonata No. 3 skilfully subjugated to the melodic line, and his differentiation between marked pianos and fortes is very clear. There is brilliance in the faster movements, delicacy in the galanteries, and except perhaps for the Allemande of Partita No. 2, grave expressiveness in the slower ones; stylistic misfits are far fewer than those of Vegh or Milstein, and all repeats are offered—usually with some changes of dynamics. As the coupling of the names of Bach and Perlman is not one that has readily sprung to mind, a point EG puts to Perlman himself on page 967, this recording came as a pleasant surprise.



		All this said, first place still goes to Shumsky (ASV), leading Sitkovetsky (Orfeo/Harmonia Mundi) by a short head—9+/10 to 9–/10, both offer deeper insight into, and more stylistic felicity in, these monumental works. What wouldn't we give for a recording (even a wax cylinder) of Bach himself playing them—though all the above are recorded with a fidelity that Edison could only have dreamed of.