Customer Reviews

Bach: Inventions & Partita

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The playing here is at the highest level, and is a real pleasure
to listen to. You hear a sense of joy being conveyed from the
performers, and you hear it in altogether excellent sound.

The articulation is lighter here than in many Bach string recordings
of previous decades, showing the effect of the whole Period Instrument
movement over the last 30 years, but this is certainly modern playing.
There are no extremes in these performances, and everything is done in
good taste, with very clean playing throughout, and yet a richness to
the sound.

The Partita and its justly famous Chaconne are up against very stiff
competition from the likes of Perlman, whose set of the Sonatas and
Partitas is magnificent. The approach here is less labored than in
some performances, though not without pathos. It works very well.
Where the double stopped notes are accented more heavily by Perlman
and Milstein, Jansen halts the pace less severly and keeps the
line flowing. Her intonation is absolutely superb, as is her
tone throughout. Truly gorgeous tone production, which in itself
draws the listener into the music. Hers is a tone and style of
articulation entirely appropriate to this music, and good enough
to make you stop thinking about the performer, at least until it
dawns on you that you seldom hear string playing this enthralling,
and then you wonder what else this artist has been up to lately.
Catch her live if you get the chance.

A refreshing disc, unreservedly recommended.

I should provide the disclaimer that I am an unabashed Janine Jansen fan. But, I am certainly not alone. This rendition of the Bach Inventions and Partitas adapted for violin and strings is a revelation. Jansen is, in my opinion the finest violinist performing on the concert stage today. No one I have heard can match her energy and her abandon combined with her prodigious talent. While Bach doesn't offer the opportunity for "abandon" that Mendelssohn does (see my other review on her last CD, which I highly recommend), her interpretation of Bach here is lively and fresh. I love Bach and I feel, as many people do, that most recently, Hilary Hahn has offered a wonderful, "pure" interpretation of her own. But while Hahn clearly has a feel for Bach, Jansen has a feel for expressive violin that makes virtually everything she does unique and often inspired. Her Bach is lively and original yet maintains the tempo and dynamics you would expect. I loved it. I play the CD all of the time. I am not representing myself as an expert on classical music, but I do love to listen to classical CD's and I feel that this one is yet another Janine Jansen masterpiece. If you like and appreciate Janine Jansen, you will certainly not be disappointed with this CD. If you love Bach, again, Jansen's Bach is different but refreshing and original.

I've done comparison listens to the 2nd Partita between Jansen and numerous other violinists (Grumiaux, Menuhin, Szeryng, Steinhardt, Hahn, Fischer, Van Dael, Podger, St. John), and compared to Jansen, they all sound humorless and earth bound. Jansen is like a bird who can follow the music wherever it goes, from the earth to the tree tops to the mountains to the sea shore. She is able to find the "animal" within in each rhythmic structure and bring the full creature into view. The Partitas are, remember, dance collections, and Jansen seems to return to this essential fact. For most musicians, listening to them is like looking at the brush strokes of a painting. With Jansen, it is like being actually transported into the scene she is painting and gazing all around it. I can think of few musicians with this precious ability --- Toscanini comes first to mind. I hope she will record the Sonatas and the rest of the Partitas, and release them on SACD so that our living rooms may become the Bach dream she is painting.

The Inventions, which make up the bulk of this album, don't rise to the heights of Jansen's Partita for me, but are quite spirited and enjoyable. I could use more "impishness" in the playing for these particular pieces (Perlman's Beethoven op. 47 here comes to mind!), more dramatic contrast, but hey, they sound good. These are Jansen's own string transcriptions of the pieces Bach wrote for his son's piano practice. In this way they are unique contributions to the repertoire.

By the way, you here Jansen playing the "Barrere" Stradivarius of 1727, Rysanov playing a Guadagnini 1780 viola, and Thedeen playing a Tecchler 1811 cello.

Janine Jansen's performance of Bach's "Inventions and Partita" is both fantastic and timeless. For listeners of all types -- from those new to this style of music to those with great experience with these particular pieces -- this recording is one to own.

Jansen imbues these classic pieces -- entitled "Two-part Inventions and Three-part Sinfonias," but often referred to as "Inventions," and originally written for keyboard for Bach's students as exercises to prepare them for more complex pieces -- with personality and depth of character.

One of the pieces on this performance, known as "Chaconne," was described by Joshua Bell (an internationally heralded musician) in this manner: "...not just one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, but one of the greatest achievements of any man in history. It's a spiritually powerful piece, emotionally powerful, structurally perfect." (Source: Washington Post, Sunday, April 8, 2007; W10)

As Jansen notes in a booklet for these pieces, "You just have to listen, open your ears and find a way...the most important thing in music is that it touches you." Readers of this review are advised to listen and open your ears to this timeless performance.

Bach: Inventions & Partita is a 2007 Decca Music Group Ltd. recording starring violinist Janine Jansen together with Maxim Rysanov, viola player and cellist Torleif Thedeen. Julian Haylock has written the music notes. The booklet contains many fine photographs of Ms Jansen from the time of the recording. Truly a delightful and enjoyable recording. Highly recommended. 5/5.

Here're are the must haves for any Baroque violin fan: Perlman playing Bach's Sonata&Partilas, Manze playing Bach violin conerti, and Manze playing Tartini sonatas. Then you got to have this one. I thought the trascription was nicely done. The playing was appropriate. Yes, the inventions are rather short and it is annoying if you just sit there and listen to the CD. If you listen while reading or cooking, it didn't bother me.

Unforfunately the best part of the CD was her solo. The Chaconne was just amazing. Her treatment of the counterpoint was obvious. Her intensity increased as the piece carried on. Perlman's Chaconne was grand. Hilary Hahn's Chaconne was smooth. Janssen's Chaconne was personable. This Chaconne left me speechless and stunned. When this piece ended, I senses stopped to feel. I had no clue when my emotions were completely taken over by her playing. I have not felt like this since I listened to Yundi Li playing Liszt's transcription of La Campenella; another great example where the music took over my senses.

I had to take away a star because the rest of the CD wasn't as amazing as her own solo. Nonetheless, this is still a "must-have" for any baroque violin fan.

As usual Janine Jansen plays wonderful. Tim Swensen has written about it very knowledgeable (see his review). I won't repeat.

However, I do have a problem with the repertoire: the CD contains 35 (!) tracks. Of almost all of them the length is only 1 - 2 minutes. Before you get into any piece it is over again. And this goes on and on. Tiring!

Why, with the transcription, didn't Janine add a couple of repeats? A couple less tracks (or two CD's), but it would make a more interesting CD. I do think the music is beautiful, but at the moment it is like a restaurant where you only get one spoonful of each course. Bedore you have time to taste it, you get another spoonful with another taste.

Of course the exception is the Partita in D, BWV 1004 [Here the length of the tracks is 4 minutes or more]. I hope she'll once play all of them!