Bach Concertos
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Free Music Notes for Bach Concertos
Free Music Review: Rich in feeling -- but tempo is too fast
Hit: 4 Stars
I love Hilary Hahn's playing of Bach (and of everything else she touches), especially her debut solo recording. As usual, her playing here is full of feeling and vitality and is technically amazing. However, I have to agree with other reviewers below regarding the tempo. It may be that I am used to a slower tempo for these works, but I found the speed of the outer movements jarring. That being said, the musical intelligence and brilliance of this delightful young lady makes it worth the purchase.Free Music Review: very beautiful
Hit: 4 Stars
If you are looking for a beautiful easy to listen to performance of bach this is a great recording. If you are looking for a recording of a performer who pays attention to performance practice of baroque era music you will be disappointed. Vibrato is used throughout and the ornamentation leaves something to be desired. All said though, this is a beautiful recording that I enjoy even though I know that it is not as Bach would have wanted it played.Free Music Review: often almost monotone
Hit: 3 Stars
Unfortunately I found much of the playing on this disc rather monotone. Everything is played at a mezzo-forte: no variation, no ebb and flow of tempo and dynamic. Especially in the many passages of motivic modulation one finds in Bach, Hahn and company rather thoughtlessly repeat the motives, offering no inflection, no direction, no interpretive contribution. Furthermore the rhythmic momentum and forward-motion so essential to the Baroque style is missing here. It may be repeated, then: especially when listening to this entire album in one sitting, one comes away with an impression not unlike that of sitting through a monotone classroom lecture for an hour. The subject matter might be highly interesting, but you find yourself getting restless and impatient even so.
Still, the disk has its points. Hahn's sound is gorgeous and her earnestness is rather touching. And I don't say she's always monotone: there are pleasant, thoughtful passages here. Furthermore this is Bach, a composer whose music, more than almost any other's, retains a great deal of its effectiveness even in less-than-great performances. So the disc is still enjoyable, even if not my favorite in this repertoire.
Hahn's playing reminds me of the classical albums that trumpeter Wynton Marsalis recorded in the early 80's. Like Marsalis', Hahn's readings are technically polished and impressive, but in the end they miss some of the heart and spirit of the music.
Free Music Review: Too fast
Hit: 3 Stars
This is too fast, nothing more to say about it. But I think that when Hahn grows some years older, she will become more interested in exploring the beauty of these works. Meanwhile we have to content ourselves with Jascha Heifetz old recordings. Manze? No doubt the reviewer Mike Chuang below has a point when he writes that Manze plays like a rock star. But Bach's music is not rock; baroque is something else than rock. When it comes to historical information, Sigiswald Kuijken is more credible than the hyped hyper Manze.
For sweet fiddle (original instrument), good sound and normal tempos I suggest Kuijken on Amazon search: Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Concertos, BWV 1041-1043 - Sigiswald Kuijen / La Petite Bande
The most spirited performances however are and remain those by Heifetz. Unforunately the sound is not so good and they are split on two CDs. The concertos BWV 1041 & 1042 you'll find by searching Amazon Bach: Concertos; Mozart: Sonata, K.454; etc. and the double concerto BWV 1043 you'll find by searching Heifetz: Double Concertos.
Free Music Review: Will You Hurry Up Already?
Hit: 3 Stars
Like other reviewers, I agree this is way to fast. It's as if, she is just trying to get through these pieces as fast as she can. Like it's like hurry up this is boring, as if she would rather be doing something else. I know that's not what she intended, but to my ears that's what it sounds like. This is the 4th Hilary Hahn CD, that I have purchased. I've liked most of her CD's, but as a result of this recording am beginning to doubt her interpretation of many of these pieces. Like many other reviewers I am not an expert by any means, but I am thinking that being as young as she is affects her interpretation of the music. Maybe I will change my mind later, and maybe I am just used to hearing Bach a certain way who knows? To sum up my feelings, I will say she is an amazing violinist with huge potential, but like any fine wine needs time to mature. Time will tell for me, and maybe for her as well, but for now 3 stars is my verdict.