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At Last Bach Really Hits the Spot

Dont know why but I have been having a neurotic, torturous audiophile time lately, not wanting to listen to anything for more than about 15 seconds and feeling like I am sick of everything in my collection.

Fishing around iTunes, I found this:

Bach

Concerto for 2 Violins in D Minor BMV 1043

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

To me, this is wonderful.

Not too insipid but not too raucous...havent heard it 10 billion times in Starbucks.

Can listen and/or read or drive to work and makes the world a better place.

Can anyone else recommend this or similar, particularly better performances, recordings etc.

Thank you.
cwlondon

Showing 2 responses by grouper52

grouper52
13 posts
 
A few more you may enjoy:

1. Bach: Trio Sonatas, Purcell Quartet, Chandos.
2. Bach: Violin Concertos and Double Concertos, Arthur Grumiaux, Philips.
3. Ignazio Albertini: Sonates Pour Violon & Basse Continue, Helene Schmitt, Alpha.
4. Corelli: Violin Sonatas, Andrew Manze, Harmonia Mundi.
5. Corelli: 12 Concerti Grossi, English Concert/Trevor Pinnock, Archive.
6. Bach: Art of Fugue, Emerson Quartet, Deutsche Grammophone. (A bit heavier than the rest, but glorious!)

Enjoy!
grouper52
13 posts
 
The Rostopovich suggestion reminds me to suggest Bach's solo cello suites by Pierre Fournier on DG in addition, if you can find it. (419 361-2).

For Bach's solo violin sonatas/partitas, those by Milstein, Szeryng, and Grumiaux are all outstanding in their own ways.

All of the above are old recordings, but fairly good sounding re-releases. If shear musicality is your interest, rather than recording technology and historically informed performance standards, you simply can't do better than these old guys. Late night listening, for sure.

Oh, and let me cast my dissenting vote in favor of Glenn Gould's 1981 rendition of the Goldberg Variations, which over the years I have grown to much prefer compared to the famous 1955 recording. But no need to quibble: get them BOTH (and more) on the 3 disc "State of Wonder" release from Sony.

Beautiful Gould quote in the wonderful liner notes: "The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but rather the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity." Amen. Certainly explains his preference for Bach!
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