Search - Johann Sebastian Bach :: Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin BWV 1001-1006

Bach with clinical precision

Idodialog | 11/20/2001

(2 out of 5 stars)

"According to the Amazon listing, this particular recording is relatively recent. I have had a Sitkovetsky recording of the unaccompanied sonatas for about 13 years. I have always adored these Bach sonatas and have listened to and played them with fervor. But in those 13 years, I've listened to the Sitkovetsky recording probably no more than a total of 5-10 times and never all at once. The notes are all there, no mistakes. Tuning is fine. But there is no passion and no sensitivity for Baroque violin performance technique that I can detect. Sitkovetsky's interpretation is totally clinical, sterile and completely uninteresting- rather like a surgical procedure. Certainly, these are austere compositions by nature, but I don't think Bach had this kind of sterile performance practice in mind when he wrote them."

Clarity and Power

Idodialog | Adelaide Australia | 10/31/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My introduction to these peaks of Bachs exceptional output were on a reissued version on cheap tapes bought in Australia around 1985. The readings were so clear that without understanding the complex structure of the music I felt I could "see" it in my mind's eye. At the same time the beauty and tunefulness were exceptionally clear and well defined. Yes there is precision and clarity, but for me this enhances the music in a way other performances fail to do.

I have listened to other, better regarded versions but at times they seem to lose the thread or become muddled by the complexity of the composition. Not so Sitkovetsky.

For me one of the peaks of classical music recording.

"

A Legendary Performance!

Ahmed Munim Ahmed | CA, USA | 03/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been listening to many performances of Bach's partitas and sonatas for solo violin for years and this is certainly one of the best performances of these works next to Grumiaux and much better than Milstein and Szeryng both on DG and EMI. This is a sweeping and powerful performance, sharp, clean, and really beautiful. I think it is underrated because it is too perfect, and critics usually don't like that! If you don't believe it please give it a try and you'll find for yourself."