RECOMMENDED CD
J. S. Bach: Violin Concertos in A minor, BWV 1041, and E major, BWV 1042; Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043; Concerto for Oboe and Violin in D minor, BWV 1060R
Arthur Grumiaux and Herman Krebbers, violins; Heinz Holliger, oboe; Les Solistes Romands; New Philharmonia Orchestra; Árpád Gérecz and Edo de Waart, conductors
Philips 420 700-2
Listeners accustomed to period instruments may initially find Arthur Grumiaux and Herman Krebbers rather substantial in Bach. The tone is full, the vibrato unmistakably modern, and nobody is pretending that these concertos were discovered yesterday in a Leipzig cupboard.
But the playing is too accomplished to dismiss on stylistic grounds. The tempos feel exactly right, the phrasing is exquisite, and Grumiaux never confuses elegance with blandness. His line remains poised without becoming precious, while Krebbers proves an ideal partner in the D-minor Double Concerto. Their slow movement unfolds as an intimate conversation rather than a contest between star violinists.
The reconstructed Concerto for Oboe and Violin brings together Grumiaux and Heinz Holliger, whose leaner, more penetrating sound provides a welcome contrast. Edo de Waart keeps the New Philharmonia moving cleanly beneath them and allows the solo lines to remain distinct.
This is Bach played in the grand modern-instrument tradition: polished, warm, beautifully balanced, and entirely free of heaviness in the tempos. Period performances may offer sharper rhythms and more transparent textures, but few offer phrasing this natural or violin playing this consistently beautiful.
