Search - Johann Sebastian Bach :: Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin

Incomparable!

J. Anderson | Monterey, CA USA | 08/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In a word, this is the finest recording of the Sonatas and Partitas extant. The recorded sound is dismal having been taken from older sources, miserable, in fact. That misfortune noted, the intelligence of this remarkable musician obliterates every distraction; intelligence like glass, so clear and revealing is it at all times, so native, so fervently humble and thus naturally devout. I don't believe there has been, at least in the modern age, another musician of such fecund gifts as Yehudi Menuhin. What an astonishing crystalisation of vast plateaus of understanding in this man! He is a mountain, and his Bach is a natural force capable of saving the world. This is not the only recording of this Bach that I listen to. There are days when all I want is Oscar Shumsky- a fountain of beautiful Bach art at every turn, so full and final. The other contender is of course Milstein, wise architect with all the clear warmth. But in the end, Menuhin pushes the world into his Bach, not the other way round. I believe it is his most remarkable musical achievment, and there have been many. If you want to hear the Sonatas, and perhaps especially the Partitas, from the vantage of Sebastian Bach, and if you have a need to understand what is art, get this recording."

One of the finest of all Bach recordings

John Fischer | Houston | 04/24/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the finest recordings of Bach's violin music. It used to be a commonplace that this was THE recording, and while it's debatable that any single recording can have that elevated status, there's no question that Menuhin was one of the supreme Bach interpreters. "Authentic" performance folks may sniff, but Menuhin had a lyrical and technical control of this material that cannot be matched. This is really a wonderful recording."

Well...

Ryan Kouroukis | Toronto, Ontario Canada | 12/11/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Despite all the praise young Menuhin gets on these recordings, I will save my praise for someone else's greater recordings...George Enescu.



These renditions are cold, dry and mechanical when comparing them to his teacher's versions.



Menuhin simply doesn't have a clue in the understanding of these pieces. He just plays the notes beautifully, but with no spirit or deep meaning behind them.



I'm sorry, but I do really admire Mehuhin..he was one of the most gifted of musicians we have ever had, but these recordings do not do these pieces justice they should. I would rather recommend Menuhin's later Stereo versions on EMI, as they are more profound and at that time Menuhin was fully mature as an artist.



...but still, Menuhin own teacher was and still is the Master of the Sonatas and Partitas. Listening to Enescu's recordings leave a permanent impact on your soul! Get them instead and be ready to go through a life altering experience!



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