Search - Johann Sebastian Bach :: Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 1

Originally recorded in 1934 and '35, when Menuhin was still in his teens, these performances combine youthful vitality and spontaneity with an unflagging musical and emotional integrity. Fully in evidence are not only his stunning mastery of every aspect of violin playing--impeccable intonation in single and multiple stops, effortless facility, consummate bow control, and chord technique--but, even more important, his innate, natural, always genuine response to the music, which he serves without calling attention to himself. Despite the record's age, his tone is instantly recognizable for its vibrancy, intensity, purity, and constant expressiveness: every note is infused with pulsating life. To be sure, this is not the Bach style customary today, calling for nonstop vibrato, a sometimes undifferentiated fullness of tone, and a good many assertive accents. But Menuhin's respect for the score is complete: he observes all repeats and his tempi are moderate. It is good to hear the fast movements at speeds that give each note its due, yet the music never loses flow and momentum. He brings out the character and expression of each movement, from stately grandeur, austerity, introspection, and passion to impetuosity and buoyant lightness, creating emotional contrast without changing tempo and rhythm. In the Chaconne, he differentiates the Variations within a towering structure, adhering strictly to the pace with admirable, if perhaps too unyielding, severity. The only liberty he allows himself is a big ritard at the end of each movement. The disc illuminates the incomparable magic the young Menuhin exerted on his listeners. --Edith Eisler