Bach: Violin & Voice

With so many artists re-treading the same ground in classical music-- endless recordings of the same popular warhorses, especially by violinists-- Hilary Hahn is charting her own path. First, these are not overly-recorded pieces: a couple selections from the St Matthew Passion and Mass in B Minor, plus a bunch of cantatas. Second, no other recording of these pieces (I listened to a bunch for sake of comparison) sound anything like Hahn's-- she places the violin and voices front and center for this recording, regardless of where Bach's sheet music and previous recordings place them in the orchestral mix, and that's a great thing. Third, Hahn continues her musical journey with this album, applying her signature style (clean, fast, crisp... dare I say, American?) to music that's never been recorded with that kind of violin sound.

In sum, this is new music. Which is exactly what classical music needs.

Baritone Matthias Goerne and soprano Christine Schäfer are stellar. Hahn shines. It's a great album. Looking forward to Hahn's recording of Jennifer Higdon's violin concerto.

Toss three well-known musicians into a studio with minimal rehearsal, and this is what you get. The participants sound bored stiff, particularly Hahn. I'm generally a fan of her playing, but here she is monochromatic and inexpressive. Schaefer is clearly over the hill, and Goerne sounds indisposed.

All of these artists have done much better work elsewhere - both they, and Bach deserve better than this mishmash of "bleeding hunks", perfunctorily performed.

Poor ensemble at times, a thin orchestral timbre, dreadful tuning and wobbly technique from Christine Schaefer, and (dare I say it) a rather hoarse version of Matthias Goerne's once-lovely basso! Plus I find Hilary Hahn's playing utterly uninteresting. Who's to blame for such a botch-up, I wonder? Goerne has recorded some of the most mellifluous Bach ever, and though he's not ostensibly an "early music" specialist, he's shown great sensitivity to historically informed performance practices. Schaefer, I fear, just doesn't know much about such practices, or else she doesn't have the vocal technique to execute them. In any case, this would be my choice for least appealing 'topselling' CD of the year.

I bought this CD on recommendation from my fellow reviewer Mr. Ogan, had high expectations, and have not been disappointed. Great idea, and overall fine execution, although with some differentiation.

Matthias Goerne is easily worth 5 stars, with his warm, expressive, smooth voice that goes so well with Bach. Christine Schaefer overall also delivers a fine performance, although at times her soprano sounds a little thin, in particular in "erbarme Dich" (which, in all fairness, has been written for a deeper, fuller alto voice). Hilary Hahn plays beautifully, very clean, with marvelously intelligent phrasing. Sometimes I wish though she would dare to adopt a bigger tone, in particular when paired with Goerne.

The weakest part, in my view, is the Munich Chamber Orchestra, which often provides little more than a shallow backdrop to the soloists, rather than emphasizing the counterpunctual lines that Bach has also written into the orchestra score. Maybe it is also suffering from what appear to be rather dry acoustics.

Bottom line: 4 stars (not everything can be 5), and a must for Hahn-, Goerne- and Schaefer-Fans.

It was Hilary Hahn's idea to create this unique concept album that juxtaposes violin and voice in a set of widely varied Bach arias and duets with solo violin. There is no questioning the credentials of these fine musicians, particularly in the realm of Bach interpretation, and they deliver an outstanding recording that merits many repeat listenings. Some may argue that this grouping of "soloists" with continuo accompaniment results in a lack of uniform style, but historicity and conventionality notwithstanding, the balance is quite pleasing and musical.

The sheer variety of Bach works on this single album is remarkable, including selections from the St. Matthew Passion, cantatas both sacred and secular, and the Mass in B Minor. One is hard-pressed to identify outstanding tracks, but some of my favorites include "Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieder," "Wann kommst du, mein Heil?," "Angenehmer Zephyrus," and "Erbarme dich." The "Erbarme dich," probably the most well-known work on the album, is particularly poignant in its curious blend of austerity and sentiment.

When listening to this recording, one might not be able to decide whether it sounds old-fashioned or distinctly new. The best description probably includes both aspects. Whether you are new to Baroque music or have long appreciated it, you can't go wrong here. This recording is a true gem.