Partita No. 1 Archive

“Bach & Beyond, Part 2” = BACH: Sonata No. 1 in g, BWV 1001; Partita No. 1 in b, BWV 1002; BARTOK: Solo Violin Sonata, Sz. 117; SAARIAHO: Frises – Jennifer Koh, v. – Cedille

by Audiophile Audition | Feb 22, 2016 | Classical CD Reviews

This second installment is every bit as engrossing as the first! “Bach & Beyond, Part 2” = BACH: Sonata No. 1 in g, BWV 1001; Partita No. 1 in b, BWV 1002; BARTOK: Solo Violin Sonata, Sz. 117; SAARIAHO: Frises – Jennifer Koh, v. – Cedille CDR 90000 154 (2 discs), 91:18 [Distr. by Naxos] *****: I still remember Jennifer Koh’s first recordings years ago—she was being hyped as one of the finest young virtuosos ever to hit the scene, and though it took a while for her to become well known—largely because the recording industry was in transition—she has now entrenched herself among the finest players in the world, and Cedille is lucky to have her in the stable at the moment. Koh is one of the most passionate players I have ever heard, but her playing is never—repeat, never—out of control. No matter how emotive any particular moment happens to be, the unflagging technical perfection and perfect intonation remains intact. This makes her Bach particularly interesting, as I can only describe it as a combination of Grumiaux’s elegance, Szeryng’s technical finesse, and Joshua Bell’s passion. If I still prefer Lara St. John’s more unbuttoned approach to this music […]