Music Lane

It's all about the music, dude! Sit down, relax and listen to some tunes.

Return to Music Lane

Message Sort: Post Order or Asylum Reverse Threaded

Faust's Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Violin on Sale at EClassical: damn good fiddle playing

98.208.117.121
Posted on December 6, 2016 at 07:49:14
jdaniel@jps.net



I'm late for work here, so I can't do justice to how much I've enjoyed this set but trust me: Faust's playing and execution is superhuman, and never mechanical. Flights of legato, sprays of staccato...it's stunning the way Faust keeps all the individual lines sorted out! In the lighter fare, it's just toe-tappingly good fun, and the darker material is moving but not exhausting.

If you don't know the music, the third Partita contains at least three of Bach's most catchy tunes; you can't go wrong with this one. Of course, the famous Chaconne is available in this volume as well.

One slight downside: the recording is very up-close, and the sound "crunches" occasionally. It doesn't bother me because my old favorite was Szeryng's rough mono set, and Szeryng also put dance before the abstract.

I downloaded Julia Fischer's 3rd Partita to see if it was more "comfortably" recorded and it is, but IMHO Fischer just doesn't measure up Faust.

PS: Podger's Channel recording is conspicuously absent as a download. Hmmm, wonder why?

 

Hide full thread outline!
    ...
Been listening to it on QOBUZ..., posted on December 6, 2016 at 09:05:54
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001
 Maybe you recommended it earlier? Perhaps someone else?

Anyway, great choice, I agree.





First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

RE: Faust's Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Violin on Sale at EClassical: damn good fiddle playing, posted on December 6, 2016 at 11:24:27
Kas
Audiophile

Posts: 776
Location: Eastern Massachusetts
Joined: December 5, 2006

If you want an HIP set that's "comfortably recorded", try Stanley Ritchie. I just bought this; the performances are superb, and the recorded venue is quite resonant, making the violin sound a lot less strident than it does on most HIP violin recordings.

 

Thank you, posted on December 6, 2016 at 14:33:34
13th Duke of Wymbourne
Audiophile

Posts: 2793
Location: Orange Co., Ca
Joined: September 19, 2001
 I've been looking at the eclassical Christmas specials but forgot to look today and I would have been sore to miss this one.
Funnily enough, yesterday I spent some time listening to Rachel Barton Pine's traversal after the good review in Stereophile. It is good does not displace Podger for me. Interesting that Channel does not have that available for download, I'm sure it was available at one time but CD resolution only.

Listening to the Faust recording is very good so far.
My other preferred set is the original Kuijken recording and I am very fond of Delmoni's Partita II on John Marks Records.

Regards
13DoW

 

RE: Faust's Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Violin on Sale at EClassical: damn good fiddle playing, posted on December 6, 2016 at 14:36:08
pbarach
Audiophile

Posts: 3306
Location: Ohio
Joined: June 22, 2008
 If I have to do HIP in this music, I always go with Jaap Schroeder's 1980s recording, originally released by the Smithsonian and now on a Naxos CD set. Among non-HIP performances, one of my favorites is Lara St. John's single disc (her first recording, this one, containing Partita #2 and Sonata #3:
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Violin-Lara-St-John/dp/B000003Y32). Her later complete set of these pieces is neither as well recorded or as well played.

 

Thank YOU!, posted on December 6, 2016 at 14:44:19
John Marks
Manufacturer

Posts: 7799
Location: Peoples' Democratic Republic of R.I.
Joined: April 23, 2000
 Your Grace...

Thanks.

That one is a keeper.

BTW! I have recently twice on my blog featured Partita 2-derived works:

H. Grimaud's Busoni rewrite of Bach:

http://thetannhausergate.com/index.php/2016/11/18/helene-grimaud-busoni-chaconne-for-piano-in-d-minor-after-j-s-bach/

And David Leisner's faithful transcription for classical guitar, linked to below.

ATB,

john marks

 

I won't rain on your HIP-influenced parade, but the BIS "deal of the day" for me was. . . , posted on December 6, 2016 at 15:55:56
Chris from Lafayette
Audiophile

Posts: 26430
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: February 17, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 6, 2012
 . . . another 24-bit multichannel Villa Lobos album for six bucks and change:



The next to last track on the album ("A Chegada dos Candangos") is by Anotonio Carlos ("The Girl from Ipanema") Jobim - kind of recognizable as his style, but the the very full orchestration is not something I previously associated with Jobim, especially in view of the "little girl with guitar" recordings of his music by Astrud Gilberto. Just a couple minutes long and a nice discovery - and still available at the "daily deal" price for another few hours!

 

Anyway, what about the Beethoven Violin Sonatas with Kuelen on Challenge? Not too many reviews. And hurry. , posted on December 6, 2016 at 19:16:27
jdaniel@jps.net
 I turn into a pumpkin at 9AM CET.

 

Yeah - I missed it, posted on December 8, 2016 at 09:57:51
Chris from Lafayette
Audiophile

Posts: 26430
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: February 17, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 6, 2012
 In any case, it would take some doing for Kuelen to be as good as Pouty Lips:

 

I skipped it, Keulen's playing seemed so tentative and unassertive, at least on samples. nt, posted on December 8, 2016 at 10:02:55
jdaniel@jps.net
 ,

 

Page processed in 0.024 seconds.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]