Eonidas Kavakos Bach: Violin Concertos (2024)

It’s hard to imagine performances of Bach’s violin concertos like those of Nigel Kennedy or, now, these by Daniel Hope, passing muster two generations ago. But since then, Bach’s model, Vivaldi, has enjoyed a second rebirth through the midwifery of period instrumentalists who have sped up the tempos of his fast movements and shone light through the ingeniously transparent textures of his slow ones, all the while employing a wider range of colors than hitherto imagined.

Isaac Stern supported by the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Schneider in the A minor, N.Y.P. by Mehta in D minor and N.Y.P. by Bernstein in C minor, dispaly the best of his musicianship to display an admirable compilation of these three emblematic Bach's works. Once again, Stern carves in relief why he was the most kaleidsocopic violinist of the last century. His vast repertoire and the majestic sumptuousness he gives these pages have no paragon.

Johann Sebastian Bach is always seen as a keyboard virtuoso, but he must also have been a very good violinist. At least that is what his son Carl Phillip Emanuel reports and that he was better able to lead the orchestra with his violin than from the harpsichord. Whether Bach wrote his violin concertos for himself or for a guest soloist - possibly the virtuoso Johann Georg Pisendel, who was a friend of his - can no longer be determined today.

Johann Sebastian Bach is always seen as a keyboard virtuoso, but he must also have been a very good violinist. At least that is what his son Carl Phillip Emanuel reports and that he was better able to lead the orchestra with his violin than from the harpsichord. Whether Bach wrote his violin concertos for himself or for a guest soloist - possibly the virtuoso Johann Georg Pisendel, who was a friend of his - can no longer be determined today.

Over the years Frank Peter Zimmermann has built up an impressive discography: he has recorded virtually all major concerto repertoire, ranging from Bach to Ligeti, Dean and Pintscer; the six solos sonatas of Ysaye; the 24 Caprices of Paganini and the complete Violin Sonatas of J.S. Bach and Mozart. He has been performing with all major orchestras in the world, among which the Berliner Philharmoniker with whom he has made his debut in 1985 with Daniel Barenboim; the Wiener Philharmoniker; the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, all London orchestras, as well as all big American orchestras. Frank Peter Zimmermann is a regular guest at all major music festivals of among others Salzburg, Edinburgh and Lucerne. Born in 1965 in Duisburg, Germany, he started learning playing the violin with is mother when he was five years old. He studied with Valery Gradov, Saschko Gawriloff and Herman Krebbers. He plays on the 1711 Antonius Stradivari violin "Lady Inchiquin", which is kindly provided by the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf, "Kunst im Landesbesitz".

Over the years Frank Peter Zimmermann has built up an impressive discography: he has recorded virtually all major concerto repertoire, ranging from Bach to Ligeti, Dean and Pintscer; the six solos sonatas of Ysaye; the 24 Caprices of Paganini and the complete Violin Sonatas of J.S. Bach and Mozart. He has been performing with all major orchestras in the world, among which the Berliner Philharmoniker with whom he has made his debut in 1985 with Daniel Barenboim; the Wiener Philharmoniker; the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, all London orchestras, as well as all big American orchestras. Frank Peter Zimmermann is a regular guest at all major music festivals of among others Salzburg, Edinburgh and Lucerne. Born in 1965 in Duisburg, Germany, he started learning playing the violin with is mother when he was five years old. He studied with Valery Gradov, Saschko Gawriloff and Herman Krebbers. He plays on the 1711 Antonius Stradivari violin "Lady Inchiquin", which is kindly provided by the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf, "Kunst im Landesbesitz".