Bach: Violin Concertos

This is Julia Fischer first recording with Decca, and I reckon she has made a good move away from Pentatone.Ms. Julia Fischer is an extremely intense player. Normally, at a concert, after the intermission, the 30 minutes of let-down would take the winds off her. As she appears again, she normally looks tired and exhausted. This is more so when she is leading The Academy of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields.So listening to a CD, which recording is usually taken over a much longer period of time, gave Julia the chance to revitalize her energy and every concerto and their movements are now full of energy and fresh.This may sound strange to you, as much as I LOVE listening to her live, which I did many times and I was able to follow her for a while, I can tell you that having her CDs is not such a bad idea.Is the CD good? My humble opinion says yes.It is a simple answer : If you like Julia, you will love this CD. If you find her not to your taste, then switch back to the old recording with crackling statics and enjoy the vinyl.Personally, I find her to be at the fore front of the new crop of violinists. New interpretations, new sound, not at all bad.Sir Neville handed his baton to her, That's very impressive.BWV 1043 in D minor for two violins is the first piece. It is oddly beautifully, very beautiful. The other violinist although not as well known as Julia, but he is just as talented. The second movement has a fresh interpretation and I love it.BWV 1041, the 2nd movement is very scattered until Julia started her solo(ing), then they would follow her. Without a conductor, TSMITF are lost at times when Julia sat down and become part of the orchestra.BWV 1042 in E-Dur is okay, not great. Maybe everyone have heard it too many times. The is the lack of "freshness", Julia style. The 3rd movement she brings back the Julia spirit, fresh and good.BWV 1060, on the oboe and violin concerto, the recording is too biased towards the oboe, which has a louder voice than Julia violin. A mistake on Decca's part.There is no mistaken about Julia now has developed a "style" and is very recognizable, which is incredible for a young lady of 26. Even when the two violins are going together, you won't be confused with which one is Julia's. :-)The SMITF? They are still on top. If you have a chance, do not miss their concert with Julia. This is a very musical group.If you love Julia Fischer, this will not disappoint you, I promise.Hope you'll enjoy her music and follow her closely as she becomes more and more mature in her music. Great girl, fantastic friend, impeccable and humble leader. Best violinist, too, of course.<<<<< March 3, 2010:>>>>>>>>God has given us a most wonderful gift -- Julia Fischer.We love you very much Julia, please take care of the baby.

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.

- I am a huge fun of your works.- But I JUST cannot find anything of yours from: "Berliner Philharmoniker - Digital Concert Hall"- You guys should live in the same city. What is happening? Quite weird … … !!!???- Do something to get involved!

I am totally satisfied. CD received on time - brand new as expected.

Wonderful interpretation of the Bach violin concertos! Highly recommend it!

Ich denke, es ist nicht schlecht, 'makellos' zu musizieren. Jedenfalls ist diese neue Produktion der Bach' schen Violinkonzerte (Bwv 1043, 1041, 1042, 1060) perfekt gelungen, in jeder Hinsicht. Julia Fischer glänzt m.E. sowohl als teamorientierte wie als solistisch großartige Interpretin. Diese Auffassung ist für den heute überwiegenden Hörer-Geschmack nicht nur 'makellos', sondern perfekt. Und genau dies bringt diese Konzerte auch einem jüngeren Publikum nahe. (Nicht nur unsere 11- und 13-jährigen Kids sind jedenfalls sehr begeistert, hören ganz selbständig und ohne jegliche 'Anmoderation' diese CD - und freuen sich auf J.F. am 21.3. in HH zu erleben.)Merke (geschätzter Mit-Rezensent M.G.): "Der Wurm muss dem Fisch schmecken, nicht dem Angler!" Wer sich 'durch-geschmeckt' - will hier sagen 'durch-gehört' hat, der kommt sicher auch mal wieder auf andere und ältere Interpretationen zurück, das ist ja legitim, wie bei einem gut gereiften Wein ;-)Es ist doch schön, mal diese, mal jene Interpretation zu hören, zu verinnerlichen, zu vergleichen - und so schließlich eigene, individuelle Präferenzen zu entwickeln. Deshalb erlaube ich mir, diese CD ausdrücklich zu empfehlen!

Julia Fischer strikes me as the new Anne-Sophie Mutter, and my previous favourite version of these 3 gorgeous concerti was the Mutter one with Salvatore Accardo and the ECO, recorded when Frl. Mutter was about three-and-a-half. So, I played them one against the other - and I'm torn. Both ladies play with precision and flair and joy, and are absolutely ear-ravishing, and in the end, to me there is overall nothing to choose between them. Neither uses a baroque violin, but this is music for the ages, not to be straitjacketed with period performance considerations.However, the thing that for me makes the big difference is the recording quality. This version has a nice, crisp recording, whereas the ECO in the Mutter version (now pretty ancient admittedly) sounds congested, as if all the fiddlers were forced to stand and play in the corner for being naughty boys and girls.