Search - Johann Sebastian Bach :: Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin

The standard against which all others are measured

Hans U. Widmaier | Elmhurst, IL USA | 11/05/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Szeryng is currently, for reasons I do not comprehend, less well known than many other violinists - but he was demonstrably superior to almost all of them. He was one of the five or so greatest violinists of the century. Szeryng's Bach is in a class by itself. Nobody has Szeryg's unique combination of musical, intellectual and technical gifts that make him the perfect interpreter of the Bach solo repertiore: he has abundant strength, absolute control of the bow, perfect intonation, an uncanny sense for architecture and structure, the highest intelligence and analytic penetration, and a huge, organ-like tone. Beyond that, he loved this music more than any other. Playing Bach was always an intensely religious experience for Szeryng. That comes across in these recordings. They are not about an individual expressing his feelings or celebrating his subjectivity. They are about a great artist dedicating his entire being, talent and skills to the greater cause inherent in Bach's music. The result is overwhelming: a spectacular celebration of Bach's musical transcendence."

Long time Szeryng fan

Dennis Nicholls | Boise, Idaho USA | 07/09/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Szeryng made two complete cycles of the Bach sonatas andpartitas: one in 1954 for Columbia records, and the one currentlydiscussed in 1968. The 1954 recording is a slightly better performance. I have the old Odyssey LP copy of the 1954 recording, and am seeking the quickly-out-of-print Sony CD version of the 1954 recording. Having said this, the DG CD version here offered is a marvelous recording, and cheap to boot. You won't regret this purchase. When Artur Rubinstein first heard Szeryng play Bach, he was reduced to tears and begged to become Szeryng's accompanist."

Another five stars for this CD

Denis Bradford | Chelmsford, MA United States | 12/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm happy to see this recording at last get the accolades that it deserves, at least in this forum. I can only add my voice to the chorus: Henryk Szeryng had no peer when it came to playing Bach. I heard this quiet, unassuming man play twice, both times included solo Bach partitas or sonatas. Each time, I came away shaken and speechless - so powerfully did he bring this sublime music to life. Now that Szerying is gone, these recordings may be as close as we can get to hearing Bach himself play the fiddle."