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| Bach: Complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin | 
 enlarge | Creators: Johann Sebastian Bach, Arthur Grumiaux
Label: Philips
Category: Music
List Price: $17.98
Buy New: $10.69
You Save: $7.29 (41%)
Buy New/Used from $10.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  (26 reviews)
Sales Rank: 5709
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 438736
UPC: 028943873628
EAN: 0028943873628
ASIN: B00000417N
Release Date: February 15, 1994
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
My old favourite June 28, 2006
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
These works are, for me, the highest possible achievement of violin music, and rank alongside the Cello Suites and the Well-Tempered Clavier as Bach's most meditative, introspective and spiritually profound works. They take you through a whole range of emotions and moods, and probably not coincidentally, like the Cello Suites, they end on a bright note, almost like the light of heaven shining down on you. Listening to the fugal movements is like being in a private cathedral of sound. And I say this without being a religious person in any way - this music is more personally spiritual, without being necessarily 'religious', like so many of Bach's vocal works.
I first heard these works performed by Menuhin (like Grumiaux, a student of Enescu), and though I retain a fondness for his recordings, I think Grumiaux's version is, all around, the best. I do agree with some of the other reviewers that Milstein can give a bit more passion, and I particularly like how the lower parts of the counterpoint are often more audible in Milstein (for instance, in the beginning bars of the D-Major section of the Chaconne - which is less accented in the Grumiaux), but I personally don't like Milstein's steely tone that much, and Bach sometimes sounds too much like hard work in his versions. In contrast, Grumiaux's tone is much warmer, I find, though he can put on the power very well whenever it's needed, and his playing is so effortless, one is able to really appreciate the beauty and profundity of Bach's works.
I'm very partial to period interpretations normally, and having now acquired Rachel Podger's recordings, I prefer those in many aspects; but on the whole, I find Grumiaux better than the other 'authentic' performance I've heard, that of Kuijken. Grumiaux IS old-fashioned, but he avoids the excesses of most of the others of his generation (even Menuhin takes some movements - like the third of the G-Minor - so slowly, it's impossible to remember it's a dance-movement!), and plays something that seems, to me, to be very much something in the spirit of Bach, even if not entirely 'authentic'. As Manze has said, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with playing Bach on modern instruments - the music is truly universal! Even though on a few points here and there I do prefer other recordings, overall, I find Grumiaux's is simply the best - and I think definitely the best introduction to this awe-inspiring music.
Absolutely Essential January 24, 2006
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
This is one of those recordings that belongs in everyone's classical collection from the beginning. It is without a doubt one of the most heartfelt, achingly beautiful, and totally masterful recordings ever made. There is simply nothing more to say.
Anyone who has it knows- and everyone who doesn't needs to.
 A somewhat clinical, "perfect" Bach May 16, 2005
14 out of 26 found this review helpful
These sonatas and partitas are among my favorite Bach works, alongside the Goldberg Variations. I've heard most of the great recordings of these suites by the great violinists, including this version by Grumiaux. My favorite rendition remains the 50s EMI survey by Nathan Milstein (not the DG version from the 1970s).
Now, Grumiaux stands tallest with me for his recordings of the Bach violin concertos and the famous double violin concerto, as well as his sublime version of the six violin/harpsichord sonatas (this is my favorite Grumiaux recording, and a "desert island recording" for me...an absolute must-have for anyone). For those, Grumiaux is unmatched in my opinion. But, in those cases, he has accompaniment that he must interact with. In these unaccompanied violin works, he has a subtle detachment. For an example, listen to the opening Grave movement from Sonata 2, and especially the Andante (movement 3) of Sonata 2. Grumiaux's technique is flawless, and he is almost at that magic threshold. Then, listen to Milstein play that Andante from the EMI 50s recording. You will hear exactly what I am talking about, something a bit too ineffable to put into words, but something you can hear. Given the fact that Grumiaux has recorded my favorite versions of Bach's other violin works, as I've mentioned above, this criticism was difficult for me to make.
I'm not suggesting a bombastic, romanticized account of these suites. Milstein finds the perfect balance (in his 50s version) between reverence of Bach and technical mastery. You feel every note of the music as it comes from Bach, and the depth of insight is extraordinary. Grumiaux captured that with his other recordings that I've mentioned above, but in these solo suites, there is a depth of feeling that is lacking. He's obviously more concerned with perfect form and cleanliness of line than he is with probing the music for its innermost secrets. Milstein achieves this, but on the EMI set from the 1950s, not the DG set from the 70s, where I think that Milstein also fell short.
It IS possible to have perfect form and cleanliness of line without sacrificing feeling. Milstein found that magic compromise in the 1950s on EMI. The words I always use after hearing the 50s Milstein are "intimacy" and "insight." His insights are so profound. Grumiaux's survey has impeccable sound quality, played on a gorgeous instrument, with flawless technique in the elegant style. Still, it doesn't get to the heart of this music. It's "perfect," but it doesn't speak to me.
I remember.... May 16, 2005
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
One of those CDs you grow up listening to -- introducing one's soul to the beauty that is Bach. I remember buying this CD on a whim since it was so cheap the summer before heading to High School at a Sam Goodies -- it totally just restructured everything I knew about music. There is nothing like this recording out there. Seriously, buy it for your kids, and introduce them to "true love". It is what anyone if they listen carefully to this CD will realize is the essence to Arthur's playing.
Grumiaux's bow is a sword March 15, 2005
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Grumiaux maintains a fine balance between emotional intensity and strict discipline and control. And his bowmanship reminded why I love the pre-Romantics--emotion without emotionalism, enlightenment without self-consciousness, depth without being ponderous. The best of Baroque art is clean and pure, not garish or any of those other things "baroque" has come to mean. To that, Grumiaux adds the confident finesse and swiftness of a Shaolin swordsman. There are parts like the famous Ciaccona where you can feel his music slice through your sinews; other parts where it saws and hammers through your defenses, and others where it gently flutters and skims. But it's so visceral it may cause you to gasp, lurch, and shudder. If you're looking for "relaxation" music, you'd be better off looking through the $3.99 CD bins at your local supermarket.
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