Bach: Trio Sonatas

Advantages: Wonderful transcriptions of JS Bach's majestic music; sensitive, tender, vivacious, effortless and fluid playing.
Disadvantages: Nil.

...1008) 5 Gigue (from Cello Suite No.2 BWV 1008) 6 Aria Variata in A Minor (Italian Variations) BWV 989 7 Gigue from Violin Partita no 3. BWV1006 Trio Sonata in C Major BWV 529 8 Allegro 9 Largo 10 Allegro Concerto in C minor (after Marcello) BWV 974: 11 Allegro 12 Largo 13 Presto 14 Bist du bei mir (from Anna Magdalena Notebook BWV 508) Concerto in A major (transposed to C Major) BWV 1055: 15 Allegro 16 Larghetto 17 Allegro ma non tanto 18 Badinerie from Orchestral Suite no.2 BWV 1067 19 Agnus Dei from Mass in B minor BWV 232 Performers: Alison Balsom (trumpets), Colm Carey (organ), Alina Ibragimova (violin), Alistair Ross (harpsichord & chamber organ), Mark Caudle (viola da gamba) Total running time: 71' 31" List Price: $16.98 GBP13.99 (Of course, it can easily be had for less on many online stores... Read review

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Advantages: Thrilling, daredevil chamber music performances from the legendary Martha Argerich and partner-in-crime Gidon Kremer.
Disadvantages: Violinist Kremer occasionally on the mannered, spastic side; only forty-three minutes of music.

...notes, though, in a few places. Then again, you might just like them more than I do! ++ For a more thorough introduction to Martha Argerich, you may want to read my other post (or you may not!): http://www.ciao.co.uk/BachKeyboardWorksReview5359921 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CD Notes: LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770 - 1827) Sonata for Piano and Violin no. 4 in A minor, op. 23 1. (1) Presto 6’56 2. (2) Andante scherzoso più Allegretto 7’20 3. (3) Allegro molto 5’15 Sonata for Piano and Violin no. 5 in F major, op. 24 "Frühlings-Sonate" ["Spring"] 4. (1) Allegro 9’41 5. (2) Adagio molto espressivo 6’02 6. (3) Scherzo. Allegro molto 1’19 7. (4) Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo 6’34 MARTHA ARGERICH, Piano GIDON KREMER, Violin Deutsche Grammophon (P) 1987 43’23 417 787-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (Performances... Read review

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Advantages: Brilliant, stirring, excitingly unpredictable, fresh performance; "genius" is not hyperbole in Argerich's case.
Disadvantages: Reflecting its LP origins, the CD lasts only 50' 16"!

...-2 Some definitions… TOCCATA - [Ital.,=touched], type of musical composition. Early examples were written for various instruments, but the best-known form of toccata originated about the beginning of the 17th cent. Free in form, it was one of the first attempts at idiomatic writing for keyboard instruments, in contrast to the strictly contrapuntal pieces of the Renaissance. The toccata was usually rhapsodic, often interspersing rapid passages of brilliant figuration with fugal sections. Andrea Gabrieli, Frescobaldi, Sweelinck, Froberger, Buxtehude, and Bach were outstanding masters of the toccata style. Schumann wrote a toccata for piano in sonata form. As a brilliant showpiece the toccata persists today in organ composition. (from http://www.bartleby.com/65/to/toccata.html, Columbia Encyclopedia) - musical form for keyboard... Read review

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