JS Bach
Sonatas for Violin and Continuo
Isabelle Faust (violin); Kristin von der Goltz (cello); Kristian Bezuidenhout (harpsichord)
Harmonia Mundi HMM902698 60:44 mins
Isabelle Faust is an artist of formidable range. Twenty years ago, her recording of Dvořák’s Violin Concerto with Jiří Bělohlávek and the Prague Philharmonia in many ways redefined views of this familiar work, adopting a fresh, chamber music-like approach which was faithful to the text without losing an ounce of spontaneity.
This ability to bring something new to her interpretations while remaining scrupulous in phrasing, ornamentation and articulation illuminates the performances on this new recording of Bach violin music. The composer’s sonatas for accompanied violin are well known and justly celebrated. The present collection looks beyond this familiar repertoire in drawing together the surprising range of Bach’s independent works for solo violin and continuo. Luckily, the provenance of these items, sometimes quite obscure, is explained in exemplary fashion in the accompanying notes.
While none of these works – with the exception of an enjoyable and very effective arrangement of one of Bach’s finest chamber works, the G minor Sonata originally for viola da gamba with continuo – are quite on the exalted level of the E major and C minor accompanied Sonatas, this collection is full of treasures. Isabelle Faust is a splendid guide, not just thoughtful, but also on occasion provocative. A clear understanding of performance practice where articulation and vibrato are concerned make for arresting listening at every stage.
Her mix of imagination and control in the improvisatory first movement of the E minor Sonata, possibly written for the violin virtuoso Georg Pisendel during Bach’s time as court musician to the Duke of Weimar in the first two decades of the 18th century, exemplifies this approach with the musical texture conjured almost magically from a single note.
The Fugue in G minor may also have been intended for Pisendel; it’s an extraordinary work full of technical challenges with an almost concerto-like feel, including cadenzas. Faust deals magnificently with its fearsome demands in a performance which balances flawless handling of the counterpoint with passionate engagement throughout.
While consistently compelling, Faust’s playing is not always predictable; the opening Adagio of the C minor Sonata, for instance, is almost sultry in its intensity, in marked contrast to the exquisite, songlike quality that she brings to the cantilenas in the concluding Affettuoso. Her way with the faster movements is equally enjoyable. The brisk central movement of the C minor Sonata, for example, while beautifully phrased, has a captivatingly carefree quality.
There is also plenty of room for virtuosity: the Presto of the G major Sonata is seriously ‘up tempo’, but is full of nuance as well as maintaining a powerful sense of line. Kristin von der Goltz on cello and Kristian Bezuidenhout, playing a resonant modern copy of a harpsichord contemporary to Bach, make up a remarkable ensemble providing much more than mere accompaniment.
In each work, there is a clear sense of balance between their contribution and that of the soloist; their interaction with Faust in the arrangement of the G minor viola da gamba Sonata has the eloquence of an intimate conversation. Excellently recorded, this issue is captivating throughout.
