Six Sonatas for Violin and Piano
| Johann Sebastian Bach : Six Sonatas for Violin and Piano | ||||
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| Studio album by Keith Jarrett , Michelle Makarski | ||||
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| Label (s) | ECM New Series | |||
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Format (s) |
2 CD |
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Title (number) |
25th |
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Studio (s) |
American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York |
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Six Sonatas for Violin and Piano is an album by Keith Jarrett and Michelle Makarski . It contains six sonatas by Johann Sebastian Bach , originally written for harpsichord and violin ( BWV 1014-1019). It was recorded in November 2010 at the American Academy of Arts and Letters , New York and was released in 2013 on ECM Records .
background
Johann Sebastian Bach probably wrote his six sonatas for violin and harpsichord obbligato during his time in Weimar and Köthen (1708–1723); Decades later he turned back to these works and revised them until the last few years before his death. For Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach , these compositions were later among the “best works” of his father. It is about "the first violin sonatas in music history in which the keyboard instrument broke away from the role of chordal accompaniment in basso continuo and faced the violin as an equal partner."
Keith Jarrett, who had already recorded several Bach works on the harpsichord - Goldberg Variations (1989) and The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I / Book II (1989/1991) - is here in collaboration with violinist Michelle Makarski, however heard at the piano. Makarski, who primarily devotes herself to the classical repertoire from pre-baroque to new music, also gained experience in the field of jazz and improvised music: Jarrett brought her to ECM in 1993, when he used her to record his New Series album Bridge of Light , who made Makarski stand out as a soloist in the Elegy for Violin and String Orchestra and as Jarrett's duet partner in the Sonata for Violin and Piano . Makarski then recorded the albums Caoine (1995), Elegio per un'ombra (1999) and To Be Sung on the Water (2004) for the label .
The album Six Sonatas for Violin and Piano reproduces the complete set of sonatas that Bach wrote for these two instruments, from BWV 1014 to BWV 1019: No. 1 in B minor, No. 2 in A major, No. 3 in E major, No. 4 in C minor, No. 5 in F minor and No. 6 in G major. All sonatas, with the exception of the last, have four movements, a juggling of Adagios, Largos and Allegros.
Track list
- Keith Jarrett / Michelle Makarski: Six Sonatas for Violin and Piano (ECM 2230/31)
- Disc 1
- Sonata No. 1 In b Minor BWV 1014
I Adagio 4:11
Il Allegro 2:57
Ill Andante 3:08
IV Allegro 3:18
- Sonata No. 2 In A Major BWV 1015
I Dolce 3:01
Il Allegro 3:05
Ill Andante Un Poco 2:54
IV Presto 4:21
- Sonata No. 3 In E Major BWV 1016
I Adagio 4:36
Il Allegro 2:53
Ill Adagio Ma Non Troppo 4:56
IV Allegro 3:40
- Sonata No. 4 In c Minor BWV 1017
I Largo 4:42
Il Allegro 4:19
Ill Adagio 3:06
IV Allegro 4:41
- CD 2
- Sonata No. 5 in f Minor BWV 1018
I (Largo) 8:06
Il Allegro 4:17
Ill Adagio 3:14
IV Vivace 2:40
- Sonata No. 6 In G Major BWV 1019
I Allegro 3:32
Il Largo 1:45
Ill Allegro (harpsichord solo) 4:43
IV Adagio 3:17
V Allegro 3:10
reception
John Garratt judged in Pop Matters : "Keith Jarrett made no name for himself when he stood on the shoulders of Bach." He had already recorded classical music, including Bach. A project like Six Sonatas for Violin and Piano is easily surpassed by Jarrett's live improvisations and the recordings of his famous standards trio. "Both Bach and Jarrett love keyboard-oriented improvisation, but the 18th century baroque composer made sure to iron out his genudel into perfectly symmetrical pieces of serious music that had always preferred technique to emotion." On the other hand, spin Keith Jarrett is all about emotions. Of course, he withholds this quirk on Six Sonata for Violin and Piano . “There are only two unusual things that can be said about this collection. Initially, these sonatas were originally written for harpsichord and not for piano. Second, there are some oddly long pauses between some tracks and the occasional sharp inhalation (probably Jarrett's) that heralds the start of certain movements. Besides that, you would never have known that it was a Keith Jarrett recording. "
A baroque album is an ideal place to showcase technical talent, continued Garrett; "The runs and scales are plentiful and no one takes time for these indulgent rubatos ". The album shows “not Jarrett's creativity, but his precision. Composers like Bach eventually developed a repertoire for educational purposes. ”Jarrett's 16th note runs are perfect; and Michelle Makarski also play perfectly. “Her dynamic feel means that she has complete control over her instrument. There is no mistake on the album by either of the musicians - both technically and interpretatively. "This reminds Garratt of Artie Shaw's saying about Glenn Miller's seemingly flawless band:" And if you never make a mistake, try it doesn't - you are not playing at the edge of your abilities. "
The British music magazine Gramophone also reviewed the album. The author wrote that Keith Jarrett's agenda was to present Bach's music "as unpretentiously and respectfully as he can". There wouldn't be anything exciting here: “Jarrett comes with soft hands that produce clear textures, well-judged tempos, and precise but never piquant articulation; von Makarski, stylish and musical play, baroque in low vibrato and relaxed tone, but with a touch of 'modern' sweetness in the sound. The atmosphere of two fine and technically well-equipped musicians who like to deal with music that is more than able to speak for itself is almost total: slow movements are quiet, dignified [...], while the fastest are completely natural are allowed to build impressive steam heads from their own sources. "
Of course, this is not what every listener wants, the author continued. “For more individualism and interpretive input, you should probably look elsewhere, perhaps among other violin and piano versions of the little-known treasure Ruth Waterman and Morey Ritt made heartfelt (if less well-received) recordings for Meridian . But because of its cool beauty and unspoiled honesty, you can live with this recording just fine. "
James Manheim gave the album 3½ out of 5 stars in Allmusic and said: “The jazz pianist Keith Jarrett has already recorded Bach on the piano and harpsichord. His interpretations are not jazz versions of Bach, but are played directly. In this case, one could say that the B-flat sonatas for violin and keyboard, BWV 1014-1019, were written for a harpsichord and are generally played that way. Somehow the ear shakes the piano more here than in Bach's solo keyboard music (which Jarrett also recorded). Jarrett fans will find evidence of his signature style not in rhythmic influences toward jazz, but in his way of holding notes that are never exaggerated. As long as you agree to this rather unorthodox way of playing Bach that wouldn't have been unorthodox 50 years ago, you'll enjoy this release. Jarrett, perhaps unsurprisingly for someone raised in the jazz tradition, is a sensitive ensemble player, and his work with violinist Michelle Makarski effectively focuses on her while creating a space for his own style. Bach's pieces are also unusual in that they were specifically for violin and harpsichord, not violin and continuo; You make room for the keyboardist, and Jarrett fills it out with expression and lyricity. The usual ECM bonuses and strengths, namely excellent sound and the lack of brochure material other than poor art photography, are both there, and overall this is an unorthodox but effective Bach chamber music release ”
Michael Darvan wrote in the Irish Times : “The pianist's consideration of the opening of the Sonata in B minor, BWV1014, and the way the piano and violin arrange a little more space between phrases, such as the time it takes necessary for the safe execution of a maneuver tell a lot about Makarski and Jarrett's access to Bach. This plays with its dotted notes that are crossed and crossed in a way that, despite Makarski's sparse vibrato, sounds muted and old-fashioned to many ears. The game is clean, hardworking, and good-natured. But it's not that good. The sound of the piano in combination with the violin can be problematic with Bach as the piano is not alone, and despite all the skills shown, this new set does not completely overcome these problems ”.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ quoted after the album presentation at Klassik Azente
- ↑ Chamber music guide
- ↑ Notes on jazz echo
- ↑ a b c Keith Jarrett and Michelle Makarski: Six Sonatas for Violin and Piano. Irish Times, October 29, 2013, accessed March 11, 2018 .
- ↑ Album information at ECM
- ^ A b Keith Jarrett and Michelle Makarski: Six Sonatas for Violin and Piano. Gramophone, November 10, 2016, accessed March 10, 2019 .
- ^ Review of the album Six Sonatas for Violin and Piano by James Manheim on Allmusic . Retrieved March 10, 2018.
- ^ Bach: Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord BWV 1014-1019. Irish Times, October 11, 2013, accessed March 11, 2018 .