Bach: Sonatas & Partitas

Featuring

Miriam Fried
Johann Sebastian Bach

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Performer Biography

Miriam Fried, the violinist on this recording, has been recognized as one of the world's preeminent violinists, known for her "fiery intensity and emotional depth" and technical mastery.

Composition History

The manuscript for Bach's Six Solos for violin without an accompanying bass, consisting of three Sonatas and three Partitas, was completed in 1720, though he may have started them around 1713.

Performer Biography

Miriam Fried plays a 1718 Stradivarius violin, which was reportedly the favorite instrument of the composer-conductor Louis Spohr and also owned by Regina Strinasacchi, for whom Mozart wrote a sonata.

Recording & Production

This recording is a composite of a live performance at The Jerusalem Music Center on December 20, 2016, and subsequent recording sessions, aiming to retain the atmosphere of a live performance with minimal editing.

Critical Reception

The Bach Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin are considered a summit of violin literature, with Georges Enescu calling them the 'Himalayas of violinists'.

Critical Reception

The Ciaccona from the D minor Partita is highly acclaimed, with Johannes Brahms stating that its creation would have driven him 'out of my mind' and Yehudi Menuhin calling it 'the greatest structure for solo violin that exists'.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Bach, a devout Lutheran, used the violin to explore profound questions of life, death, beauty, and nature, all in service of God, pushing the instrument's capabilities to its limits.