Bach, J S: Sonata for solo violin No. 1 in G minor, BWV1001

In 2007 I left the secure and familiar surroundings of the concert hall to fulfil a long-held ambition; to busk my way around the world, funding my travels by playing Bach’s music for unaccompanied violin on street corners wherever I found myself. My goal was to launch “Musequality”, a charity that funds music education projects for disadvantaged children in the developing world. During that journey across six continents Bach’s power to bridge linguistic and cultural divides never failed me. At the same time, it was my opportunity to explore the extraordinary world contained in one of the cornerstones of the violinist’s repertoire, his Six Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo. This recording is my next step in a journey that, I hope, will last a lifetime.

During his lifetime Bach never travelled further than 250 miles from his place of birth. I count myself exceptionally fortunate to have been able to spend an extended period travelling around the world with him as my constant companion. There was one other person who, having agreed to my deserting her and the family in order to indulge a whim, remained exceptionally close albeit at the other end of the phone.

That is my wife, Jane, to whom I dedicate this recording with love and gratitude.

David Juritz

In its explorations of Bach in all its forms, Fuga Libera was waiting for the rare bird capable of provoking reflection on the genius of the Cantor on the basis of the marimba, this extraordinary instrument, which would no doubt have fascinated him.

Showing the same ease with 18th century timpani as in his position as percussionist with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Koen Plaetinck has seduced numerous specialists of ancient music, amongst whom Sigiswald Kuijken and Philippe Herreweghe.

Here is the marimba at its highest level, at the service of Bach, in a series of unusual and all utterly convincing transcriptions.

The young violinist Mikhail Ovrutsky has recorded this CD with his sister. All the pieces are linked by special memories of places and moods. A sensitive musician delves into his international heritage in this very personal selection.

The great, but still neglected composer, Max Reger was an unconditional admirer of J. S. Bach. His works for unaccompanied violin are inspired by the sonatas and partitas of his illustrious model. Here they strike up a dialogue as if between two mirror images, right down their respective chaconnes. A fascinating comparison! Sayaka performs on the 1729 Elman Stradivarius

"An emergent star, no question." The Independent

“Technically secure and thrillingly passionate.” The Guardian, February 2008

Believe it or not, this CD is the first recording ever of Bach’s violin solo compositions as interpreted by Robert Schumann, performed here by critically-acclaimed violinist Benjamin Schmid.

The young violinist Lisa Ferschtman has already received a great deal of critical praise for her first two CDs. The second of these featuring the music of Beethoven and Schubert, released in 2007, was particularly well received. On this new hybrid SACD, she performs some of the great masterpieces for solo violin. The disc includes a sonata and partita by J S Bach and two sonatas by the Spanish virtuoso violinist and composer Ysaÿe which were inspired by Bach’s earlier pieces.

Although still in her twenties, violinist Liza Ferschtman is already recognized as one of the most significant artists of her generation. Her performances are known for their passionate and at the same time intellectual qualities. Her two CDs to date, the first of music by Debussy, Poulenc and Tchaikovsky, and the second works from Beethoven and Schubert, were both very well received by the international music press. In November 2006 Liza Ferschtman received the Dutch Music Award, the highest distinction awarded to musicians in the Netherlands.

J S Bach emerged as the pre-eminent composer of the first half of the 18th century and left an enormous musical legacy, including his masterful sonatas and partitas for solo violin. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Spanish composer and virtuoso violinist Eugene Ysaÿe took these pieces as an inspiration for his own Sonatas for Violin solo. As an example of this, like Bach’s, the first sonata is in the key of G minor and divided into four movements, alternating between slow and fast.

2CD+DVD

David Grimal, one of the leading French violinists of his generation, releases his third recital for Ambroisie featuring Bach’s solo sonatas and partitas interspersed with the world premiere recording of a piece by exciting young French composer, Brice Pauset.

This recording marks a very special moment in the career of internationally renowned violinist, David Grimal. It is the culmination of a long journey of initiation that has seen David battle, not only with the complexities of Bach’s music and the secrets of the composers language, but also with his desire to discover more about himself and of his own musical voice. Through musical experimentation, the inspiration of fellow musicians, and spiritual enlightenment when playing in India, David Grimal now approaches music, his life and his playing, in a more mature way and has learnt to “ceaselessly question the mysteries of proportion and colour”.

Brice Pauset’s Kontrapartita, given its premiere recording here, was inspired by the ‘morphology and the metaphorical strength’ of Bach’s music. In his booklet note Pauset says this led him to transfer his “impressions of the relationship of the bow to the violin strings into a piece in which bow and violin are treated as found objects”.

The release also includes a bonus DVD of David Grimal playing Bach’s stunning Partita No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004 featuring the monumental and hugely popular ‘Chaconne’.