Customer Reviews

Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin

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3 star:		(1)
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Before buying this recording, I had not heard or heard of Nathan Milstein; now that I have I thank God I was allowed to hear him before I die. It is not the only recording of the Bach solo violin music worth knowing, but it is a must-have if you love it.

The sheer energy of these performances is remarkable, and it is not generated exclusively by tempo; what should be fast is fast, and what should be slow is slow. Milstein's tone is beautiful, clear and warm, and well-presented by the DG engineers. I am convinced by his phrasing, although I am no expert on this matter. There are one or two places where his intonation wavers just a trifle, but I don't mind that; utterly perfect performances usually bore me. I will accept a couple surface flaws if the performance is intellectually exciting or emotionally involving, and Milstein's is both.

One key consideration in any complete recording of Bach's solo violin music is how the performer handles the D-minor partita; some will mentally "detach" the Chaconne and think about it independently of the other movements, which makes the partita as a whole suffer. Milstein does not make this mistake; the Chaconne feels like it really *does* belong with the other movements.

An excellent recording. Not definitive, but then I don't think you can have a single definitive performance of this glorious music.

Having heard these pieces a million times by various artists, I purchased the Milstein set. Upon receiving it, my wife suggested going straight to the center of the oreo cookie and listen to the chaconne from partita #2.

After sitting quietly for 14 minutes in stunned silence listening to Milstein saw away at one of the most gorgeous sounding violins these ears have ever heard, we looked at each other and said absolutely nothing.
At that moment it was clear that we had witnessed something truly miraculous. Such absolute control over this collosal work has rarely been heard. Most violinists struggle to move heaven and earth while negotiating the considerable difficulties involved but Milstein plays as though he's got technique to burn, like a Ferrari doing 25mph in a school zone.

Since then, I've obviously heard the entire album and although I must admit it is not my favorite recording, it is by far one of the most powerful and moving accounts on disk. The reason it is not my favorite is because I prefer a smaller sound and less drama in my Bach, a personal preference that all may not share. Listening to Milstein play Bach, as opposed to say, Aaron Rosand, is like listening to Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra as opposed to say, Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music. Hearing Ormandy's ultra-lush, romantic sounding Bach or Handel is just plain wrong, I tell myself, yet it is a delightful indulgence comparable to eating a 16 ounce bar of my wife's finest swiss chocolate, a sin I've been guilty of.

By the way, don't tell my wife I said that. She may take away my Milstein, just to even the score.

Highly Recommended Bach.
Enjoy.

Bach is my favorite composer, and of all Bach's works, the Goldberg Variations, and these solo violin sonatas/partitas, are my "desert island" works. I've listened to many recordings of these sonatas/partitas, from Yehudi Menuhin to Jascha Heifetz, Grumiaux, Perlman, Podger, and others. Milstein's survey from the 1950s on EMI stands as my favorite, in comparison with his DG rendition in the 1970s.

I had a conversation with one of the editors of the Penguin guide about these recordings, and Milstein was also his favorite, but he preferred the 70s DG version for reasons of sound quality and technical brilliance. I countered that the EMI Milstein set from the 50s was superior for the depth of insight brought to these pieces. Nathan Milstein was in his absolute prime when he first recorded this survey in the 50s. His insights into Bach are pure, with the required delicacy in slow movements, the right touch of silence here and there to let the music breathe, without being CONSPICUOUSLY slow, such as the Perlman set, which tends to drag at times. His fugues are perfectly light on their feet, his rhythms perfectly sprung, without making it a horse race. In short, Milstein stays out of the way of Bach in every moment of the EMI set, and we are face to face with the composer. But in this DG set from the 1970s, Milstein seems to be rushing through some passages (as does Grumiaux), with more regard for "technical brilliance" as the Penguin editor cited, instead of pure musicality and reverence of Bach. I have listened to both Milstein versions, and this DG recording simply does not reach down into the depths of Bach in the same way.

The Jascha Heifetz rendition is also outstanding, but when you listen to it, you know that it's about Heifetz, not so much about Bach. Now, Heifetz was indeed the best of the best, in terms of his technical mastery. The one segment where Heifetz wins me over from everyone else is in the mighty Chaconne from Partita 2. In this Mount Everest of solo violin, Heifetz takes you on an exhilarating ride that leaves you speechless. I have never heard the Chaconne played with such fearless power and confidence than from Heifetz. For that one segment alone, I bow to him above all others. He was indeed the best.

But Heifetz himself always heaped praise upon Nathan Milstein, which was exceedingly rare. Heifetz never praised anyone! Heifetz always demanded that his students go to see Milstein perform. If his students didn't go, they'd be in trouble! So Milstein certainly commanded a great deal of respect from Heifetz. And when you hear Milstein play the mighty Chaconne, he almost has the supreme technical mastery of Heifetz. Not quite, but almost. However, once again, when you hear the Heifetz version, you are hearing Heifetz, the master. When you hear the (50s EMI) Milstein version, you are hearing Bach.

I invite the listener to compare one specific movement between these two Milstein versions, and then make their own decision. Listen very carefully to the opening Grave movement from Sonata 2 in A Minor. Compare and contrast the depth of insight in the 50s version on EMI, and the 70s version on DG. You will most likely come to the same conclusion as I did after making my own comparison. Then compare other movements throughout the set, but start with that one. For me, there is no doubt. The 50s set is pure, unadulterated Bach at its finest. No other violinist came closer to the heart of this beautiful music than Milstein did in the 1950s. Even HE didn't get as close to it when he remade this music later in his life. And by the way, in terms of sound quality, the EMI set from the 50s is perfect! There is no cavernous reverb, just the pure unadulterated sound of Milstein's violin, so clean and clear that he is right there in the room with you. The two words I always come away with after listening to the 50s Milstein set on EMI are "intimacy" and "insight."

After first hearing Milstein play these sonatas, I took the advice of some friends and bought the Heifetz and Szerzyng renditions for comparison. Although technically brilliant, I think Milstein stands out above the rest because--how best to put this?--because he loves every single note, and beautiful ones that Heifetz and Szerzyng for some reason speed past Milstein lifts up with exquisite care and tenderness to show us how sublime. In my book, Bach never had a better interpreter than Milstein.

I have heard the Enescu, Menuhin, Heifeitz, Szerying, Grumiaux, Hahn and numerous other versions...

none reaches the level of this recording.
It is not for nothing that he was donned the "prince of the bow." Ysaye the celebrated virtuouso even refused to teach Milstein he was so extraordinary, saying,
"you can play Bach and Paganini well...what else!"

Milstein lived with these pieces. He talks of how, in his youth Bach's work was not often admired, and thus he explored his sonatas and partitas finding the artistic world they inhabit to be unique.
One can tell Milstein has lived with these pieces. Every nuance is carved to perfection, in the most spontaneous grace. The flow is mellifulous and each note has something unique to say. If Milstein were to just play the first chord of the first sonata in G minor, I would buy this cd. When I think of his sound now, I feel a kind of thirst take over my body.
If one were to spend one day listening over and over again for ten hours, to one bar of this recording, the lack of writing achieved explaining the emotional content of each note, would be a disservice to his playing.

It's incredible...you must hear it!

If you're going to have one recording of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas, this is it. Milstein was about 70 when he recorded these, and they are technically flawless. I defy you to find another recording with such perfect intonation through the double- and triple-stopping, and such flawless rhythm and bowing. They sound like a young violinist, a Joshua Bell, but Milstein was bringing a lifetime's experience and thinking about Bach and about these sonatas.

If you're not a violinist, you may not know how difficult these are to play, and yet Milstein is so far past the technical challenges and deep into the music. Compare this to the Perlman recordings, which have their moments but overall come off wooden and brittle by contrast.

Milstein's playing of these incredible pieces is overflowing with a patrician elegance balanced by his own style of almost "fiddling." The Stradivarius he utilizes is a happy balance between the resonant power of today's modern instruments with the warm, natural sound highly prized in Baroque violins.

His tempi are never too fast or too slow, and he has a magnificent sense of pacing throughout the great Chaconne. Because of his background in performance, Milstein's technique blends classical aristocracy with the soulful bends and vibrato of the Gypsy fiddle style. The result is a recording of the Six Sonatas and Partitas that captures them in all their technical accuracy, while reaching a depth of humanity rarely seen in other recordings. Milstein's 'Six' form an organic whole, not just a collection of pieces that happen to be placed together on a disc (unfortunately, many modern recordings of the solos feel exactly that way).

Milstein's unique intonation gives his interpretation a highly earthy and personal quality. Not to be missed.

In this double CD, Nathan Milstein, in a recording made rather towards the end of his life, shows his complete mastery and profound understanding of Bach's solo violin work. These are stern yet emotional performances, revealing the beauty and power of Bach as one seldom hears it. Particularly interesting in the Chaccone BWV 1004, which is nowadays more often heard as a guitar transcription, thanks to Segovia. Julian Bream, who made a brilliant recording of the Chaccone for guitar, wrote that one had to be at least 50 years old to do it properly. I agree with his assessment, especially hearing Milstein's stern, almost sorrowful performance. One feels in touch with a more intense world while listening to this recording, a world Bach often reveals through great performances. I can't recommend this recording enough.

Milstei is my favorite violinist ever. I first got hooked on his Tchaikovsky recording then his Brahms (he does a brilliant Brahms so check it out) and his Mendelssohn and Saint-Saens three are also very good. The first recording I'd ever heard of these Bach sonatas and partitas was one by Heifetz. It was very good. I've never heard Heifetz do anything bad actually. My private teacher told me that Milstein did it well, and I'd heard the same thing in reviews so I thought, " I need to hear this."So I went down to the library and got it. It is excellent. The reason Milstein is so good at Bach is because he is so articulate. His technique is also just as good as Heifetz. I really think he is the greatest violinist of the twentieth century.

While I like Milstein's bach interpretation very much, I prefer his 1953 recording (EMI) over this set. Compared with the 1970s recordings, the 50s recordings were more lyrical and soulful while maintaining a baroque dignity. I find the 70s recording a bit more 'clinical' in interpretation and tonality. Note that this comparison is made with respect to Milstein's own playing, not that of other violinists. The 50s recording is slightly inferior in recording quality but is still very good for its time, and EMI does excellent job digitally reprocessing old recordings. The difference between the two versions of Milstein's Bach S&P is large enough that it makes an interesting study for anyone who is interested in Milstein and Bach S&P interpretation in general.