BACH: Partita in a, BWV 997; Toccata in e, BWV 914; Sinfonia in e, BWV 795; Lute Suite in E, BWV 1006a – Azusa Shimizu, guitar – MSR 1302, 56:09 [Distr. by Albany] ****:
It isn’t the tonal opulence of Azusa Shimizu’s playing that is the main attraction here—there are other guitarists, like David Russell, who display much more in terms of sheer string luster—but the sense of excitement and discovery that that she brings to this music. There is an energy and unalloyed joy that is present in every bar of these seminal Bach works, and while even this recording isn’t the most flattering in terms of technique—it captures every slide and pinched string to perfection, something other records “air brush” to a certain extent—it is a very honest capturing of this artist that ends up doing her a lot of favors when all is said and done.
The A-minor Partita was originally intended for the lautenwerck, a cat-gutted harpsichord, as Bach thought it too difficult for the lute, but here Shimizu strokes it very well. My favorite on the entire disc is probably the Toccata in E-minor, an early organ work that has a very famous—and unforgettable—last movement that sticks with you like glue, especially if you have never heard it before.
The little Sinfonia is one of the more interesting of his Three-Part Inventions, a very devout work even for this composer. And the Lute Suite was most likely transcribed by the composer from his Solo Violin Partita, BWV 1006. That piece is emblazoned with ripe and forward-thrusting projection that asserts itself in a manner that even the others of the set don’t, and here we get a very different take on the music, more subtle and esoteric, yet still revealing in its clever and often bewildering contrapuntal tendencies. Shimizu plays with confidence and rapt attention to detail.
The recorded sound is excellent, captured in St. Lawrence’s church in West Wycombe, Britain. Like I said, if you want more beauty of tone there are other places to go. But Shimizu’s way with these works is unique and well worth hearing.
— Steven Ritter
