Wonderfully bright, clear and simple interpretation
Richard Gibson | Woodland Hills, CA | 06/21/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Bach solo string music is, of course, one of the landmarks of classical music. These are some of the greatest pieces of music ever written. They are the musical equivalent of the plays of Shakespeare.
Which means it is not easy to do them in a new way. First, these are very difficult pieces to play. Only a master can play them well. Second, every top violinist has recorded a version of them, so any new version of them is played in the shadow of giants.
Hahn deals fabulously with both problems. She plays these pieces as if they had been written yesterday. She brings to this music a wonderful simplicity, directness and joy. Her Bach is filled with light. She shows her mastery by making this music seem simple. A wonderful, wonderful talent."
Awfully good, masterful in fact.
A Texas Reader | Houston, TX | 07/17/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ms. Hahn has a phenominal talent. Her knowing interpretation of the Partitas 2 and 3 goes to the spirit of Bach in a spine-tingling, joyous way. The famous Chaconne from Partita no. 2 can be played over and over always with fresh impressions. Superb."
The Virtue of Youth
Alexander T. Gafford | Midland, Ga United States | 07/23/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I do a lot of writing in my work, so I don't hesitate to write book reviews but my musical abilities are so limited and little used that I do hesitate to discuss the work of anyone who clearly had more talent in their little finger than I have in total. That being said, I remain entranced by this recording and play it frequently. Ms Hahn brings what I belive to be great technique and incredible enthusiasm, drive and energy to these pieces. The sheer joy of accomplishement shines through these performances. Another descriptor I might use for this encounter of player and part is fearless. With all that there is profound respect shown for the emotional range found in these two partitas. Yet it is the music that is shining through not the musician. No doubt Ms Hahn will play these tunes differently in 30 years. Let's hope so. But she won't play them any better. She and Bach are helped along by very clear and highly defined sound. If these recordings don't make JS Bach smile up in heaven then none will."
{~~}==# HILARY HAHN simply WONDERFUL... the "Big Bang" of Hi
Martin Müller | Frankfurt am Main | 02/10/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Many congratulations for such a GREAT and WONDERFUL Johann Sebastian Bach Debut album!! There are so many recordings of these Bach sonatas and partitas for solo violin, but this one stands out as one of a really extraordinarily superb quality. Besides the superb quality of this recording, this recording is so particular since Hilary Hahn recorded these very difficult pieces for solo violin when she was still a "teenaged girl" aged 17 - and with this 1997 recording Hilary Hahn proved her extra class at this very young age by such a mature and remarkable as well as intelligent interpretation which can be heard in the same quality only from few other remarkable violinists. With her Debut album Hilary Hahn showed what a serious and mature violin virtuoso she is. This recording makes you immediately recognise how intensely and profoundly Hilary Hahn approaches the Bach sonata as well as the two partitas, how she explores and immerses them and so discovers and brings out for all to hear the spirit of them and gets out what is deeply inside them and inside their literature. And in doing so, Hilary Hahn knows exactly how to play each note and she manages to play these pieces technically without mistakes and provides a superb intonation and interpretation of them. Hilary performs these pieces for solo violin with much energy and spirit, but well under control and straightforwardly, she transfers all the excitement and vibrations of these wonderful pieces in an almost frightening precision and cleanliness of intonation and so she establishes a true communication between her and us, the listeners and her audiences. Hilary Hahn (even back then) avoides any unnecessary over-emphasising and flourish - and false notes could already not be heard from her even in this, her Debut recording! So, for me this a FIVE STARS RECORDING, not only but also due to the fact that Hilary Hahn was so brave to record these very difficult pieces at such a young age, so early in her career - and of such tremendous quality and precision -, while other violin virtuosos normally take more time to record them!
This way this Debut album of Hilary Hahn in some way can be considered kind of a "Big Bang of Hilary Hahn's Violinistical Universe" which has been expanding since then - and now has been doing so for ten years! -, and Hilary Hahn once a year releases to our great delight new interpretations from her yearly published CD recordings! From then on it has been clearly obvious and visible how Hilary Hahn's "Violinistical Universe" has been expanding so continuedly, e. g. from her recordings made in 2005 as well as from her latest ones made last year, in "Mozart Year" 2006. With these recordings made by Hilary Hahn of the Mozart violin sonatas (2005) as well as of the Paganini & Spohr violin concerti (2006) Hilary Hahn once again succeeded in making her fans and audiences enthusiastic about the magic and spirit that come from her violin play and which inspire us, her fans and audiences, and bring us to great excitement! Like in her latest recordings of the both extremely difficult Paganini and Spohr violin concerti, even in her Bach solo recordings there is not the slightest touch of difficulty to be heard or recognised in her violin play, but which are without doubt included in a great amount in the pieces for solo violin chosen by her. Hilary Hahn's violin play was in this early recording (Bach) the same light, easy and lively and mature one that she has kept until today (Paganini & Spohr), Hilary's recordings always sound completely effortless/unforced and she somehow manages to cover all difficulties contained in these pieces and to "hide" these with her gentle and smooth as well as very serious violin play.
So, there remains hope that Hilary Hahn will soon also record the remaining two sonatas as well as the remaining partita! At least the Presto from sonata No. 1 by Johann Sebastian Bach can be heard and seen on Hilary Hahn's DVD "The Last Night of the Proms" - at least we have that one from her, which will, as I hope, be completed sometime in the future! Hopefully, we don't have to wait for too long for Hilary Hahn's recordings of these remaining Bach pieces for solo violin, so that we will be able to listen to and enjoy the interpretation of these Bach works for solo violin by Hilary Hahn!
My VERY BEST RECOMMENDATIONS for this tremendous and wonderful Bach CD by Hilary Hahn!"
