Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Adagio
2. Allegro
3. Andante
4. Allegro
5. Allegro
6. Andante un poco
7. Presto
8. Adagio
9. Allegro
10. Adagio ma non tanto
11. Allegro
12. Largo
13. Allegro
14. Adagio
15. Allegro
16. Allegro
17. Adagio
18. Vivace

Disc 2:

1. Allegro
2. Largo
3. Allegro
4. Adagio
5. Allegro
6. Cantabile, ma un poco adagio
7. Adagio
8. Adagio
9. Allegro
10. Adagio
11. Vivace
12. Largo
13. Presto
14. Allegro e presto
15. Adagio
16. Presto
17. - / Adagio ma non tanto
18. Allemande
19. Gigue

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #113343 in Music
• Released on: 1996-06-11
• Number of discs: 2

Amazon.com
As in his set of Bach's unaccompanied violin music, Arthur Grumiaux plays this music with effortless mastery and a fine sense of Baroque style. You can count on this great musician to avoid letting any mannerisms or inappropriate romanticism intrude on the music, leaving you with pure Bach played with great refinement. The programming here is comprehensive, including alternate movements and a questionable work or two. Christiane Jaccottet makes her presence felt as an equal , and the recording still sounds excellent. It's hard to find better performances at any price, so as a "twofer" this is a great bargain. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews

Purity in quality, sound and execution
Grumiaux is one of the greatest violinists from the Old School of Senofsky and others who emphasized not only clarity of technique but also passion of musical opinion. I can't say enough good things about this CD. Grumiaux captures traditional Bach with power and ownership. You can tell that each piece has his "Grumiaux thumbprint." Unliked his other recordings such as the piano trios, this CD has a strong, pure sound and sustains its clarity even when a car stereo is blasting on its highest volume. The purity touches all ages, from my toddler to advanced violin students to even carpoolers never exposed to Bach partitas. This CD also makes a great gift for young kids to adults, to your friends who are music experts. Another must-have that you shouldn't just burn from a friend.

"..., it's hard to beat."
First, I should say that I am partial to the recording of these same Bach sonatas by Glenn Gould-piano, Jamie Laredo-violin and Leonard Rose-cello. However, that said, I also thoroughly enjoyed the Philips recording with Jaccottet-harpsichord, Mermoud-cello and Grumiaux-violin. While my personal bias is that I find Gould to be the interpreter of Bach's "soul", nonpareil, the recording with Grumiaux et al offers one of the best presentations of the sound of the "period". And, at the price for 2CDs, it's hard to beat.

simple, not simplistic

The musical genius of Bach can be savored in any number of configurations. But you'd be hard pressed to find Bach speaking more exquisitely than via these compositions for violin and keyboard.

From here you cannot even see the outline of the Romantic Period. Rather, the pure, intertwined Baroque simplicity of two instruments instructs the soul that simple does not mean simplistic. Simple can be intricate, fugal, agile, or reflective.

Each of these modes is a format in which Bach and these two interpreters excel.

Then comes Philips with its fabulous 'Duo' series to make it all oh, so affordable.

Simple. Beautiful. Bach.