Bach: Violin Concertos

JS Bach (Composer), Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (Orchestra), Julia Fischer (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Julia Fischer
• Orchestra: Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
• Composer: JS Bach
• Audio CD (January 27, 2009)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B001IT74YW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,414 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #1 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Concertos > Concertinos
  • #15 in Music > Classical > Instruments > Strings
  • #16 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Symphonies > General

Editorial Reviews

New York Times

"Technically her playing was impressively accomplished and elegant, richly varied in colorings. In long-spanned, calmly lyrical phrases her luminous and true tone soared..."

"Across the world thrusting young violinists are two a penny, but there is only Julia Fischer."

Product Description

Voted "Best Newcomer" by BBC Music Magazine in 2006 and acclaimed as "Artist of the Year" in the prestigious Classic FM Gramophone Awards only a year later, 25-year-old Julia Fischer is already being hailed as one of the truly great violinists of the 21st century. Julia burst upon the international music scene at the 1995 International Yehudi Menuhin Competition by taking first prize as well as a special prize for "Best Bach Solo Work." It is only natural then that her Decca debut disc should feature Bach--this time the solo and double concertos. Julia is joined by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in these strikingly sophisticated and technically brilliant performances.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars JULIA FISCHER's BRILLIANT BACH CONCERTOs: WITH THE A.S.M., January 27, 2009

By 

RBSProds "rbsprods" (Deep in the heart of Texas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Bach: Violin Concertos (Audio CD)

Five WONDERFUL Stars!! Superb performances! Award-winning German violin virtuoso Julia Fischer once again demonstrates her great empathy with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach performing his violin concertos on her Decca debut. Here she records with the vaunted Academy of St Martin in the Fields chamber group with whom she has previously recorded and toured, but this time sans conductor, as Fischer herself ascends to the role of leader. Ms Fischer in an interview says she is "Playing for the people of the 21st Century" and she respectfully puts her stamp on these incandescent performances. The 25 year old Ms Fischer has loved and played Bach from age 4, won the Yehudi Menuhin violin competition at age 11 (with special prize for the Best Bach solo), and most recently she recorded J.S. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006.

This CD presents different facets for the listener to enjoy: Julia's individual interpretations, her duo interaction with oboe and second violin, and A.S.M. group dynamics, all courtesy of the awesome genius of Bach. Ms Fischer's beautiful sound and bowed fireworks are well-integrated into the orchestra emerging from alongside the tutti as principal voice and then blending back again. The 'piece de resistance' is the Double Violin Concerto. The second violinist is Fischer's friend and former Menuhin competitor Sasha Sitkovetsky and they make wonderful ethereal music on their similar time-frame Guadagnini violins, especially the Allegro and Largo Ma non Tanto movements which are contrapuntally mesmerizing. But there is so much more, such as the stately elegance in the Andante movement and the Allegro Assai of the concerto in A minor. The lyrical beauty of the Adagio movement of Violin Concerto No 2 has Ms Fischer's purity of tone set against the continuo. In the D minor concerto for oboe, strings, and violin, the oboist is the superb Andrey Rubtsov and with Ms Fischer the concerto becomes one of pure exultation in the two Allegro movements and placid beauty in the Adagio movement. Julia Fischer is one of the supreme interpreters of Bach and among the most brilliant violin virtuosos of this century. Kudos to Julia, guests, and the A.S.M: great colloborations!! My Highest Recommendation. Five BIG Stars.
(This review is based on an iTunes Plus download)
Trivia: Julia Fischer has won all 8 competitions that she entered: 5 in classical violin and 3 in classical piano. Quite a feat!)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Julia Fischer's Bach, October 5, 2010

By 

P. Adrian "Adrian" (Arad, Romania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bach: Violin Concertos (Audio CD)

The refined musicianship and insightful temperament of the young star violinist Julia Fischer could not avoid anymore recording some of the towering Baroque masterpieces - namely, four concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach with the violin involvement. (She finally did it in London, for DECCA, in 2008 paired by a high-quality chamber orchestra.) Her affinity with Bach's output proves more than a passing interest, a fashionable approach or a mere caprice for showing a different and, of course, modern Bach. Being much more than all these, this rendition by Julia Fischer is the sound expression of a deep understanding, and even empathy, for the vivid yet extremely rigorous Bachian textures, for their spirit shaped in Gothic sobriety and aspiration for highness; for that solemnity interspersed with human feelings such as melancholy, passion, wit, playfulness. For Fischer's playful style mirrors Bach's joyful thoughts of music and his unique manner of building mighty, everlasting harmonies. Bach's intimate feelings and thoughts get conveyed through Fischer's sensitivity and exquisite mastery. Moreover, Julia confesses she has been playing some of these concertos (the A minor one) since she was 5. And this long-term affair can be sensed in her actual interpretation. She displays alertness in outer movements, restraint in Adagios or Largos, fine balance in getting the proper nuances, delicate yet incandescent phrasing throughout. The sound of her Guadagnini-1742 violin borders on magic. Maybe, some will argue against such brisk tempos, but the effect is rather refreshing than tiring or pure technical. The music simply breathes with a speed properly to XXIst century, where Julia Fischer actually belongs.
The chamber players supplying here the orchestral support is the worldwide acclaimed Academy of St Martin in the Fields - one of the foremost chamber ensembles with an impressive visit-card in the genre. The soloists gathering Fischer on this CD are Sasha Sitkovetsky (violin) in Concerto for two violins BWV 1043, and Andrey Rubtsov (oboe) in Concerto for oboe and violin BWV 1060, respectively.

In all, a modern reading of Bach owed to a violinist who made him hers by keeping the voice of Baroque but imposing the rhythms of our time.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast but Gorgeous -- Distinctive, Rewarding Disc, September 26, 2010

By 

Jake H. -- Chicago - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach: Violin Concertos (Audio CD)

As a previous reviewer noted, Fischer decided to take the outer movements faster than is typical. For me, this meant that, after beginning to listen to the brisk first movement of the D minor Double, it wasn't quite love at first listen. The ear can rebel against what it's not used to. However, I soon came to appreciate Fischer's approach and style, and I became a fan of this disc. I found the E major in particular -- a piece you might think you know all too well -- to be unexpectedly exciting, and, in the slow movement, just gorgeous. The danger with speed on these is that one risks sapping them of their inherent drama and beauty. Some self-consciously period-correct recordings I've heard fall into this trap, and the result is awfully noisy and unattractive. Fischer and her fellow performers, with this non-period recording, avoid this pitfall with perfect precision, balance, and appropriately restrained, just-right sensitivity.

Fischer says in the liner notes that she is seeking to emphasize a neglected virtuosic aspect to these concertos -- hence the speed -- but also to blend with the ensemble where appropriate, and not to indulge in romantic affect, which can be tempting because some of this music -- the slow movement of the D minor Double in particular -- is very beautiful. All of this bespeaks an intelligent and distinctive approach that successfully walks the line between respect for period style and the the nature of the music on the one hand, and the undeniable fact that, as she says, this is being played for 21st century ears on the other. Fischer seems to be saying, you're allowed to have fun and be creative and impressive with these, but this is still Bach, so keep your wits about you.

It makes sense that Fischer would approach the music in this way. If you're already familiar with Fischer, I don't need to say that she's not just the hot soloist of the moment with dazzling technical chops, but a thoughtful and mature musician as well, characterized by fidelity, sensitivity, and uncanny control in the service of the music. With this disc, these qualities that make her the one to watch are on full display, and it's well worth adding to the shelf, whether as a supplement to other recordings you may have, an introduction to these essential works, or as a new go-to standard. If we were in the days of LP's, I'd already be wearing mine out! Enjoy.