Unique and Novel
kelsie | Plainview, Texas United States | 10/04/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Six Solos for Violin are among the most difficult pieces in the string literature. Part of that difficulty lies in the fact that the music contains many, many large, three or four note chords, chords that are impossible to play outright on an instrument designed to accomodate only two notes at once. As a result, the performer must "arpeggiate," or roll, upward or downward with the bow, thus breaking the chord into two parts.
Rudolf Gaehler, however, solves this problem through the use of the curved bow, a specialized apparatus that allows the performer to bow across all four strings of the violin simultaneously.
This results in a very unique and altogether different reading of the Six Solos. The novelty of Gaehler's approach can truly be heard in the "Chaconne" and "C Major Adagio" movements of the works, both because they require the violinist to negotiate massive, towering chords (in excess of two octaves in the case of the Adagio).
Gaehler's performance with this special bow is certainly intriguing. His approach allows the listener to hear more fully the counterpoint and harmony in several key movements (especially the D Major section of the "Chaconne") as it was written in the original music, and not as performance technique has necessitated. Gaehler uses a modern instrument with a fair share of vibrato, giving this performance a very modern feel.
He is VERY confident, and, coupled with the somewhat forward recording, his instrument sounds almost like a pair of unison instruments in many places, especially the C Major Allegro Assai and the E Major Prelude, where Gaehler's solo instrument could easily be mistaken for a quartet of instruments.
As a result, his performance lacks in general subtlety and intimacy, especially in the Menuets from the E Major Partita and the slow movements of the three sonatas. His A Minor Andante, in particular, suffers from a consistently high dynamic. Tempo-wise, Gaehler strikes a happy balance, especially in the fast movements at the ends of the sonatas. He never feels rushed (at least not to this ear) but there is always a sense of forward motion. Like Grumiaux, he is technically immaculate, though a little underpowered emotionally.
Altogether, Gaehler is not a first recommendation, if only because the true novelty of his performance, the use of a curved bow, is not accepted convention. These performances cannot take the place of a standard reading any more than a guitar transcription could take the place of the same.
However, Gaehler plays beautifully and, in several places (the D Minor Giga), the instrument sings out with just the right combination of technical skill, resonance, and conviction.
While he has his shaky moments, overall, Gaehler is in top form, and so are his recordings. Not essential, but certainly worth hearing at least once."
Accurate
Paul K. Stadden | Pensacola Florida | 03/19/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is quite impressive as it is what Bach would have heard in his lifetime. This is the only recording I've ever heard that uses a proper Baroque German curved violin bow. As opposed to the Italian violin bows of the time, the Germans used a curved violin bow that allowed for true three and four note chords. The curve is very severe, and allows for about four inches of "travel" for the hair of the bow, allowing it to grip all four strings at once. Contemporary paintings show that this is not a modern fancy, but was quite standard at the time. Also, in the sheetmusic for the Chaconne, the beginning chords are written as complete four note chords. How do we know they were not meant to be arpeggiated? Well, later in the piece, there are parts marked "arpeggio." Bach is not so sloppy as to forget to mark some chords "arpeggio" and remember to mark it elsewhere. No, the only explanation that can be given from the evidence at hand is that he intended for the chords written to be played as chords. Also, the modern arpeggiations (done out of necessity with our "modern," shallow bow) do impede the melodic flow, which is something that I'm fairly sure Bach would not put up with. Now, this does not invalidate any interpretations done without the curved bow. I personally love Heifetz's recording of the Bach Violin Partitas and Sonatas, and he did not use a curved bow. However, if someone is looking to replicate Bach's intentions, a curved bow is necessary. One only hopes that more players adopt this bow in the future so we will not have to look so hard for recordings such as this."
Track Listings (32) - Disc #1