Search - Johann Sebastian Bach :: Hilary Hahn Plays Bach

Compare to Milstein

shantinik | 09/11/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First off, to compare this recording (made when Hahn was 16) to Milstein's Sonatas and Partitas (made in the prime of his career, and considered one of the 3 or 4 greatest violin recordings of all time), shows how much I think of this one.Now to be fair, Hahn's performance of the Second Partita is not Milstein's. Milstein's Giga is much fiendishly faster (played without the repeats, as was common in the early 1960s -- Glenn Gould in his piano recordings of Bach always left them out too), and a true baroque gigue. And Milstein's Chaconne! -- well, it is always on the edge -- technically, and in the depths of human emotion, suffering, and transcendance it engenders in the listener. And this is despite the fact that he plays it faster. It is almost impossible to come away from the Milstein recording of the Chaconne without feeling both emotionally exhausted and exhilarated. This remains the definitive performance.Having said that, the Hahn performance will always have a place in my heart. The sound is rich and full, not ascerbic and vibrato-free like Milstein, the phrasing is delightful (no one could ever claim she hasn't thought through, note by note, what she wants to do); the rubato is judicious. The mellower Chaconne makes it in some ways more enjoyable (you'll never want to sit through listening to the Milstein twice on the same day! but you can repeat the Hahn again and again), though the highlights in this recording are the Sonatas, not the Partita.I have bought and given copies of this recording to budding young musicians as inspiration. (I'd only dare give the Milstein to those who are emotionally prepared - it should be "R" rated.) Hahn will be around a long time -- she'll get to do it again (Milstein's famous one he did when he was 54, I think, and recorded them again (less well) in his late 70s.)Buy it. Put it away. Be prepared to take it out again to compare it to what she does when she's 40."

Youthful Bach

V. Wilson | Cambridge, MA United States | 03/01/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There seems to be an excess of hyperbole among the Amazon reviewers about this recording--they either love it to death or hate it and wonder why a teenager is playing Bach. Personally, this recording has attributes that merit both descriptions without quite meriting the passionate excess.To review this, I directly compared Hahn's D-minor Partita with Milstein's. Lo and behold, the differences are what one might expect between an older artist and a youthful one who happens to live in an era where technical competancy is much higher. Milstein wins out in the slow movements where his sense of phrasing and line draw one into the emotions involved. Hahn occassionally falls into the "slower is more profound" mode which causes her to lose the overall line. This is especially apparent in the opening prelude. However, Hahn plays with such a ravishing tone that one can frequently enjoy the moment.In the faster pieces, Hahn is the clear winner. She remembers the dance aspect of these pieces and plays them with rhythmic punch. Milstein here falls into the "everything Bach produced is profound" mode which makes these too heavy. In the concluding Chaconne, Milstein rises to greater heights. However, some of Hahn's soft playing is so incredibly beautiful. In addition, although her Chaconne takes longer than Milstein's, it doesn't fall apart--perhaps because the musical form is readily apparent and easy to follow.All in all, this is a pretty spectacular debut by Ms. Hahn. She gambles by opening her recording career with Bach and, although she doesn't "get" everything in the music, she produces a winning result. Here is a young violinist whose career is worth following. And hopefully, she will remain brave and record things that interest her, rather than just the old warhorses. (Her decision to couple Berstein's Serenade with the Beethoven Concerto is an optimistc sign!)"

Bach at its best!

V. Wilson | 12/09/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hilary Hahn's performance epitomizes Bach at his very best. I am apalled that anyone would think it as boring and dull! If you want a purely baroque sound with no vibrato and no rubato, then this recording is not for you. But the sound that Hilary Hahn can get from her violin is absolutely divine, and the energy in her recording is better than in any I've ever heard. Her phrasing is great, and her voicing is fabulous, especially in the C major fugue. Among the best aspects of the recording, however, is showing different voicings in a single line, which she does with amazing precision. If you love Bach, the real Bach, then this recording is for you!"