Classical music reviews

I gave this item as gift so I cannot review it.

I really loved this CD, mainly however due to "Mesicku Na Nebi Hlubokem" as it was the first version I had ever heard. Her phrasing, emotion, and tone were a perfect match for Dvorak's lone mermaid. I was also surprised to find Richard Strauss's Daphne here. It is not a common opera or aria so it was all I could do to listen to the beauty of the music that was not a real aria as it was vocal renderings controlled by the orchestra. It may not ever be common but it shows Richard Strauss in a more lyrical way verses his usual more heavy and harsh operas including "Salome" and "Elektra". Now if only we could get Fleming to record "Daphne" in it's entirety. Her other pieces were rich and warm as I have always adored her in the Countess road and she has always does Desdemona proud even if it is just a literary character. This CD is Renee Fleming at her best!

This may be one of my favorite albums of all time. Renee Fleming is of course amazing with Mozart...but there are other gems on this album. The scene from Otello is truly astounding!! My personal favorite on this album is the Embroidery Scene from Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten...WOW!!! And of course we all know that the Song to the Moon from Dvorak's Rusalka is amazing. The Tchaikovsky is so wonderful!! The scene from R. Strauss's Daphne is awesome! Brava Renee!!!

Bernstein was only 70 when he made this, his only recording with the Chicago Sym., but he was already debilitated and tired. Given his bad health, it's a wonder that these performances of the Shostakovich First and Seventh Sym. are as vital as they are. From anyone else, I would give the Seventh five stars. It is a galvanzing reading captured in great sound. But Bernstein's first Seventh, made in 1962 with the NY Phil., was a miracle of spontaneous, totally committed music-making. If you want maximum sonic impact, buy this CSO recording instead, but get it in the new bargain box from DG that contains all of Bernstein's later Stravinsky and Shostakovich recordings. The latest remastering is impeccable throughout.

Paying full price for this 2-CD set would hurt less if the Sym. #1 were better. I find it lacking in mood and color; it sounds very well played and nicely detailed but little more. When it was over I felt neutral, whereas the earlier NY Phil. version is quirky and digs in more. Again, the sonics are excellent, far better than before.

Yes, this "Leningrad" does indeed rate five stars, as most, if not all other writers here have given it. Despite some distortion in the louder passages, this recording certainly is a classic document. (I like Bernstein's 1962 recording on Columbia as well, but this simply has more impact.) I must correct one writer who said these performances were done in Medinah Temple in Chicago. They were done in Orchestra Hall, Chicago, the First Symphony recorded without the audience, the Seventh done live. I was privileged to have there. I'll never forget it!!

This is the only recording, as far as I know, Leonard Bernstein did with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a group of players with a very long tradition in the American music and with a great technical playing good enough to play quite all the repertoires.

Like in the case of his Mahler's 9 with Berlin, Bernstein only recording with this orchestra is a miracle that happens once and never more, because of many reasons, the first one because this is a live recording in the Medinah Temple and the emotions felt in this CD could not happen again.

I always thought Chicago is a very appropriate orchestra to play DSCH's music, because of the characteristics of the orchestra and of Shostakovich's music, very hard and very sensitive at the same time. One of the symphonies it's better to this couple DSCH & CSO is the 7th that it's not the most complex between DSCH's works, from the technical and musical point of view, but that demands a great and powerful orchestral response, something you can listen perfectly in this amazing recording, in which CSO gives his best, with a baton that understand very well the score, as far as he can... I think no one could understand completely the meaning of the Leningrad not being in the place of the siege or in the scenario described in the double-program of the symphony, probably linked to the oppression Stalin made with his politics to the pre-communist life of Saint Petersburg. I remember Goethe's words, when he said that reading a book is more complex than reading a book. Of course good Goethe talked about understanding a work, and Lenny, even not living that situation gives us a description of the fears, sadness, oppression, etc, really convincing from the very first bar.

Symphony N�1 is a piece from DSCH's conservatoire years, from 1926, when the composer was only 19 years old and he was suffering a very disturbing economical situation, after his father's death and in the poor CCCP after the Revolution and the Civil War. It's known DSCH had to work in a cinema, under very hard conditions to eat, and that Glazunov took care of having some official assistance for his conservatoire pupil in order to Dimitri gave attention only to composer. The piece is not a great work like symphonies 5, 7, 8, 10, 13... but it shows some details and the personality of the maestro clearly. It was a great success from the same premiere and it made appear Shostakovich as the emergent figure of the new soviet composers, formed in the communist conservatoire... That was what the regime said, because in fact Leningrad conservatoire was mainly what it was before communist regime.

Leonard Bernstein performance of this symphony is a glory from all the points of view, perfectly played and recorded, the piece is fresh, full of tension and emotion, and even that parts not so fine orchestrated shine with real genius. The fourth and final movement is specially outstanding and the way the symphony ends is so good that sometimes I repeat the last minute when it finish. I really don't know any other version played with this very deep conviction on CD.

Seventh Symphony "Leningrad" is OUTSTANDING too, in every movement the orchestral playing and Lenny's conducting is breathtaking. The gigantic crescendo of the first movement is really a monument in the way Lenny control the dynamics perfectly, having an end that is really impossible to repeat, with the scales of the metals and drums full of terror, like watching the face of the death in front of you, in front of the city.

Central movements are wonderfully described too, the dynamics and the control of the tempo is amazing, as we listen in the second movement, a clear example of alternation between fortissimos and pianissimos, as between an atmosphere were everything is like suspended in fears and moments of pain.

The last movement is another Bernstein's `show', because of the way he proclaims the victory of the initial motif, which we could say is not completely affirmed in order to create that two-senses possibilities in the symphony reading. From the very dark beginning of the movement Lenny creates a crescendo that finally leads an explosion in the last bars, outstanding one more time.

The recording is fine, very present, full of body and not so clean like his recordings with Vienna in the 80's (I think about his DSCH's 6 & 9, for example), but it worth very, VERY, very much.

I could not say this is the only possible version, as I read in other reviews. I know about 5 or 6 performances (Rostropovich, Jansons, Haitink, Barshai...), apart from some others life, and of course this is the one I like much more, but not the only possibility, I try to discover always new ways in art, specially in music performances. Jansons' version in EMI is very good too, and we can not forget DSCH music always use to ask for the soviet performances, which are a very different way of understanding the works generally. Kondrashin or Rozhdestvensky shows another ways too.

Nowadays you can buy this 1st and 7th in this double top price CD or in a very interesting 6CDs box which contains Bernstein performances of DSCH's symphonies 6th and 9th with the Wiener Philharmoniker for not to be missed. That 6CDs box offers too his recordings of Stravinsky for DG. I have all of them and I think it worth too, but you remember the best thing in that box are DSCH's performances.

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

Redolant with imagination, fancy and emotion, the piano stylings of Liz Story are always appealing and the gentle, modern keyboard fantasies on "Solid Colors" are no exception. I normally prefer hearing the sounds of multiple instruments playing together, but Story's gentle, accoustic improvisations are so rich and varied that I find I really don't miss the backup band. Though this Narada CD tends to be classified in the nebulous, ever-widening net of "New Age" music, I'd categorize instead as light jazz, of the sort you'd expect to enjoy hearing over brunch at a fine city restaurant. It makes a great backdrop for a brunch of your own too, served warm at home for a few good friends. For more of Liz Story's stylish compositions and superb musicianship, check out her many other releases. If you enjoy her work, you may also like the work of pianist Keiko Matsui as heard on her albums "White Owl" and "Doll"--more orchestrated but equally whimsical and passionate.

I have loved this album for years. Somehow in my moves in recent years, I lost it, so I just HAD to replace it! What joy she gives with her music! The energy is so positive, sensitive and just downright enjoyable.

Liz Story. What can I say? As a fellow pianist/composer, Liz put the joy & inspiration back into my playing. With her debut of Solid Colors, which, in my eyes, is her best of all, she gave me back a passion I lost over the years. When I serendipitously fell upon her first music anthology book, my heart actually began to race with excitement. Finally the songs I fell in love with, I could learn. Within a month, I had the entire book memorized & an entire new confidence came over me. Her style, rhythms, chord progressions et al, influenced & enlightened my playing. I also had the priviledge to see her in concert, hug her & have her sign my music anthology "Escape of the Circus Ponies". Pure acoustical genious. Thank you Liz. (check out my single CD "The Promise" while you're at it!)

This set was famous for the singing and the sonics, but also for Solti's anti-religious, coarsened way with the score. If Giulini's reading is for devout Catholics, this one is for people who sleep in on Sunday (or go to the opera). Little of Verdi's deep emotional reverence comes through, but if you want to hear the Requiem as second-cousin to Il Trovatore, this performance is nearly perfect. I keep it for the spectacular sonics and Pavarotti's incomparable singing of the Ingemisco.

The Verdi Requiem has been blessed with the title of the most recorded requiem on disc. There are certainly superior recordings out there. The draw here is the cast, singers who certainly had a following in the heady days of their careers in the 60's and 70's- Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne, Luciano Pavarotti, Matti Talvela and conductor Georg Solti. Solti conducts the Vienna Philharmonic with great strength and power, making such fiery portions as the Dies Irae scare the hell out of you. There is no denying the magnitude of this recording, especially because the Vienna forces sound like two loud orchestras playing at the same time. However, there is no real sense of spirituality here and parts that ought to exude a calm divinity fail to do so. Pavarotti is in fine shape but this tenor part was never one I liked to hear him in. His heroic, bright sound shows no real emotion or sense of spirituality, unlike the more God-like lower tones of Talvela. Marilyn Horne is all razzle-dazzle in her mezzo part, though she handles the music quite well and intelligently. Finally, the weak link - Joan Sutherland. There were two operatic roles that were not in her league - Leonora in Trovatore which she also recorded with Marilyn Horne and Puccini's Turandot which she recorded with Pavarotti. The soprano solo part in the Requiem calls for a darker, heavier voice. Sutherland is completely underpowered. Furthermore, she has sloppy diction and is lackluster next to the truer Verdi soprano voices of Leontyne Price. Leontyne's Requiem recording (twice - once for Fritz Reiner in the early 60's and the other for Solti in the 70's with Janet Baker) are exemplary and must-have Requiems. Other well-executed Requiems you should check out as an alternative to this one are the Placido Domingo, Katia Ricciarelli, Nicolai Ghiurov version and the one with Angela Gheorghiu and Roberta Alagna in recent years. Sorry, but this one would have been great if they had cast Leontyne Price rather than Joan Sutherland.

I love this. Is by far the best version. And incredibly good production for something recorde in the late 60s. How they were able to make it sound like this? Who knows, but is here and all we have to do is enjoy.
The only thing missing is Miss Price. Southerland will always be remembered by us as one of the best (if not the best) colatura soprano of the last century. Her voice is beyond beautiful. Is just sublime. Is true. But Miss Price is better for Verdi although Sutherland is incredible here and is enough at least for me.
Pavarotti...oh Pavarotti. He's in his prime. His voice has an unlimited power without losing his beauty. This is the Pavarotti that people love.
Horne as a Mezzo-Soprano and Martti Talvela a Bass complement everything with their talent. They are not there just "getting the job done". Besides, Horne was a respected figure as well.
Solti's version is by far the best. He directs the Vienna Philharmonic with a passion and a speed that gets your heart to work. Reiner's Version is a good one but it just can't be compared with this.
After the first nine minutes, in which everyone pleases our ears we get ready. Verdi's "Dies Irae" starts. Is one of the most monumental pieces in history. The drums are like a thunder that just crushes your heart. Solti's direction is phenomenal. Dear God is this beautiful. I have to say that even though this 19 year old loves Opera, I'm not a snob but I love this. I may not be able to write a very technical review because of my lack of knowledge about terms related to this but I at least I can express what I feel.
Some people complain that it isn't as beautiful as the other Gregorian Dies Irae. Please. "Dies Irae" is supposed to be the Apocalypse. Ten centuries ago they didn't have the instruments to express it like today therefore that's why they only used their voices. If there's something that can crush a soul, is Verdi's "Dies Irae" and with Solti's version you can appreciate it in a way that none of the other versions can.

Furtwangler was old enough by the time he came to this recording that either for that reason or some other he chose extremely slow speeds in many sections. Flagstad sounds quite mature, and her glory as Isolde was the voice, not her dramatic interpretation, for she was a staid Isolde. Suthaus was a makeshift Tristan with a mediocre voice and a tendency to tiptoe across phrases he oculdnd't sing full out.

All in all, I think it's only candid to make new listeners aware of these facts. Leaving aside the rewards of a much more dramatic performance in modern sound, such as we get from Bohm and Karajan, there is a live 1952 recording from this era in which Karajan leads Bayreuth forces with two much more exciting leads: Ramon Vinay as Tristan and Martha Modl as Isolde. On various reissues it demonstrates (in mostly good radio sound) that Furtwangler did not have the last word in this opera by any means.

As far as performance goes, this is easliy the definitive Tristan. Unfortunately, it is also fifty years old, and the sound quality is not as good as new recordings, despite remastering. If you are not bothered by quality in recording, this is a perfect recording (you also might want to check the 1936 recording with Flagstad and Melchior under Fritz Reiner. It is a good bit faster, but has the advantage of Flagstad's youth. It is a live performace, so if that bothers you, stay away because it is a bit noisy at times). The Reiner version does not, however, have Fischer-Dieskau, whom I love.

The other Tristan I like is Karl Bohm's, though it is purely a matter of taste. It is MUCH faster (the entire drama fits on 3 CD's--one act per disc), and if you are one who likes fast moving drama, it's a great recording (and of higher quality than the one in question).

If you are not bothered by sound quality, then by all means BY THIS ALBUM. If you are, you should still by it. It is still the most definitive recording of any Wagner drama ever.

Yes, yes, yes, there are better sounding recordings BUT this one sounds better than some say it does. And Flagstad, though not in her prime when this recording was done, was still fabulous and beyond nearly all other Isoldes. She is an immortal! Heavens! Hers is such an important voice for this role that you really can't have a collection of this opera without it.

This is a FABULOUS record of a tremendous voice and it really is one of the best performances we have of this work. Some may quibble about which is THE recording, but who cares? This recording belongs in your collection - period.

Plus there is Fischer-Dieskau and other wonderful singers and all conducted by Furtwaengler, whom everyone agrees understood this opera deeply.

This recording should never be out of print and should be in your collection. Honestly, this is such and important opera and had such a profound impact on the development of music and this is such an important recording of an important voice that you really should have this in your collection. You won't regret it.

Feel free to email me with your thoughts once you have heard it.

...BUT not if you take it SO seriously that you have lost your sense of humor.

Peter Schickele (with whom I am occasionally confused - we apparently look alike!) - has got to be one of my all-time favorite composers. When I was in graduate school, I took considerable abuse from my fellow music lovers for actually having MORE albums by P.D.Q Bach than by J. S. Bach (though I think it was barely a one-point margin, really...)

But the "New Horizons in Music Appreciation" approach to Beethoven's 5th symphony is not only a musical analysis of the piece as it is being played, but a slam on the constant "blah-blah-blah" that one hears during ANY sports event.

"My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth" has got to be my all-time favorite spoof of the overly pompous "art song" oratorio. I've encouraged one of my colleagues (who directs the college chorale where I teach) to include it in a program, to no avail. One of these days, I'll put my money where my mouth is - and buy sheet music for the entire chorale.

This is one of only two albums that I have in (a) vinyl, (b) tape, and (c) CD format. That should be some indication of how very, very special I believe this to be. [The other, for those who are interested, is Joan Baez' "Diamonds and Rust."]

This has been around for years, and there's a good reason. Schickele is not only funny when he wants to be, but a supremely accomplished composer and musician, with dozens and dozens of serious musical scores to his credit as well.

For the classical music lover, this is an amazing spoof. For those who do not know classical music well, this is still highly entertaining.

My friend and I saw the good Prof. Schickele here in Pasadena last night (March 29th-- AND the conductor of the Pasadena Symphony is Jorge Meister!)-- and the last number on the program was the WONDERFUL "The Seasonings"-- I had a very hard time even after all these years of first hearing this on a REAL record of not singing along with every little tune!!! This piece last night, being sung by singers whom I do not doubt were not even born when I first heard a recording of it, were as good as the ones I remember from my decadent youth on the original recording. Buy this C.D. if only for this piece!

This confirms what I've always thought about recordings of Mahler's works: without being able to put your finger on the reasons why, you just know when it's 'right'. Like LBs CBS Mahler 1,3,7 and 9, and for instance Barbirolli's Mahler 6, this Mahler Two is most definitely 'right'. Bernstein's later Mahler 2 for DG sounds contrived compared to this earlier CBS recording, which communicates like no other version I've heard. Simon Rattle's famous version sounds studied and earthbound by comparison to this, and to my ears the CBS recording is superior to the EMI one for Rattle, especially in the closing stages of the finale where LB gives a 'preview of the afterlife' that gave me goose-bumps all over. This is not just another performance of Mahler's 'Resurrection', this is a tremendous experience.

Bernstein so closely identified himself with the Mahelr Second that he made three recordings. For a long time two have stood out: the first, from 1963, with the New York Phil. (Sony) and the last, from 1988, from a live concert, also in New York (DG). Sony owns another live concert from 1974 with the London Sym. and the unmatched Janet Baker as soloist in "Urlicht," but it has boomy cathedral sound and is hard to find. Comparing the two major recordings brings out interesting contrasts.

Sony 1963: Bernstein was 45 and freshly arrived at Mahelr when he made this recording. The phrasing in every movemeent has a spontaneous freshness that few have ever duplicated, including Bernstien himself. Nothing is played for rhetorical effect. Tempos are moderate; the orchestra plays beautifully and is captured in spacious sonics at Manhattan Center. The two vocal soloists, mezzo Jennie Tourel and soprano Lee Verona, were Bernstein favorites, but neither is ideal. Tourel sounds mature and doesn't blend well with Verona in the finale; her Urlicht is sincere and moving, however. The professional chorus is excellent but recorded too far back for us to make out the words or for maximum impact.

DG 1988: Twenty-five years later, when Bernstein was 70, he retained the basic shape of his earlier interpretation but slowed it down, by almost 4 min. in the finale, which is quite broad now. Spontaneity has been exchanged for a deeper, more settled view but also some rhetoric. The sound is multi-miked, often close up, and with not as much air around it as for Sony. Also, there is more underlining for emphasis, but not to an extreme. I think the finale suffers from Bernstein's earnestness to make sure it sounds cosmic--yet the stupendous coda does indeed sound cosmic. He uses another aging mezzo, Christa Ludwig, for the Urlicht, which she sings beautifully. It's too bad that LB takes 2 min. longer in this short movement; it sounds funereal. Soprano Barbara Hendricks sounds ideal. The chrosu is also better than on Sony and recorded, like the organ in the finale, with much more impact than before; we canmake out more words thanks to the multi-miking.

As interpretations, I think there is little to choose for the first three movements. After that, Bernstein is more musically fresh in 1963 but captured in more dramatic sonics in 1988. Chorus and soloists are also better in the 1988 set. The later performance ends in wrenching catharsis, and for some lsiteners that will make the difference. Both sets are five-star readings on the highest plane of performance and musicality.

(One thing greatly in favor of the Sony set is the fillers: a moving live performance of the Adagietto from the Mahelr Fifth at the funeral service for Robert F. Kenney in St. Patrick's Cathedral, and a riveting "Veni Creator spiritus" from the Mahler Eighth, a live performance to celebrate the opening of Philharmonic Hall in 1962.)

Many have conceded that among 20th century conductors it was Leonard Bernstein who became the driving force in effectively meeting the challenge of making a convincing statement of Mahler's symphonic music. Others have cited some of the pioneering and insightful mono and stereo performances of Walter and Mitropoulos and those of Scherchen (occasionally considered idiosyncratic by some). In any event, there has been little doubt that Bernstein has almost always brought great intensity to his Mahler interpretations. But his tendency to sometimes engage in drawn out tempos has been, at times, controversial. This is evident particularly in his opening to Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony, despite the composer's indication of allegro. Bernstein proceeds with what sounds, at least, like adagio. He later speeds up, then slows down again--perhaps, to listeners, a little exasperating. However, others might feel he is setting the mood for the rest of the first movement and even for the entire symphony. Include me in that company. Indeed, what Bernstein does bring to this magnificent work is passion, and there is little doubt in my mind, based on what I have encountered about Mahler, that this is precisely what the composer sought to convey himself through his compositions and his conducting.

Being familiar with a number of other versions of Mahler 2, I found it particularly interesting to compare Bernstein's account with that of Klemperer (with the Philharmonia Orchestra) who, not untypically, offers a view of considerable strength and stature. Despite these qualities and perhaps a greater sense of overall structural unity, Klemperer cannot quite match the range and depth of feeling wrought by Bernstein, though I admit there are times when Klemperer's characteristic sobriety helps to imbue his interpretation with a more primordial Mahlerian feel. On certain emotional/spiritual grounds however I find Bernstein somewhat more effective. Examples: In the first movement, he expresses some of the composer's phrases with a tenderness that Klemperer only hints at. In the final movement, themes from the previous movements return with more vividness and urgency. Further, in that movement the "fright fanfare", with its opening of the sky, is given a more menacing effect, while the procession of the dead is conveyed with a greater feeling of grandeur. When it comes to singing, mezzo-soprano Jennie Tourel clearly displays a wider range of feeling than Hilde Rossl-Majdan in the fourth movement "Ulricht". Lastly, in the sections for chorus and orchestra in the final movement, Bernstein is more apocalyptic. Overall, a most impressive performance. For a bit of a different take, try also Kubelik's very fine offering with the BRSO.

It's an awsome cd! Especialy the track #5 The blood of cu chulainn!! A must have to any real celtic music's fan collection!

I bought this CD on a whim, and boy was I rewarded! The music is deeply moving, from uplifting drums and pipes, to tragic flutes and harps. You really get a taste of Ireland at this time period, influence of Christianity mingled with an ancient Druid and Celtic core.
What I love most about it is its sountrack feel. Makes me wish there was a film to go with the music! But you really get a sense of the story, (included in the insert), while following the tracks.
I listen to this CD while driving, working, or writing on my computer. I can't get enough!

Very emotional and moving.. and incredible journey in music! From the highs of the uplifting tracks, to the incredibly haunting sadness that the "Funeral" track provokes, it touches your heart in so many ways. I plan to use some of these pieces for my wedding, I especially like "Dia Dha Mo Chaim" which I think would make wonderful processional music, starting with a wonderful slow melody to a pulsating rythm of thundering drums.. a truely moving CD that no celtic fan should be without!!

This could have been a fantastic album, but ends up falling well short of that owing to Thomas Hampson. I have never understood the fawning praise Mr. Hampson receives. His voice is unpleasant, his musical interpretations are well-below average, and his coloratura is completely non-existant -- for an excellent example of this, compare, in the Pasquale duet, Ramey's exquisite descending scales in the "aspetta, aspetta, cara sposina" phrase with Hampson's sloppy counterpart, "il poverino, sogna vendetta". The "i" in "poverino" is supposed to carry over four separate notes, and not one note, a whooping cough, and a closing note! Judging by some interviews I've read and/or seen, Mr. Hampson appears to be a decent, down-to-earth gentleman. As an opera singer, however, he's mediocre at best. This recording is worth owning thanks to Ramey, who is absolutely top-notch.

Amusing concept, wonderful singing. But one question: Why was the Dandini-Don Magnifico duet from LA CENERENTOLA not included? Since they wanted to have two buffo duets, I think that would have been a better choice that the MATRIMONIO SEGRETO number.

One to keep, one to give away. You'll wind up burning one for the car and one for the office regardless. A friend lent me this CD and I've bought 4 so far. One of the best! I can't recommend it enough.

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.

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.