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Johann Sebastian
BACH (1685-1750)
Two-part Inventions, BWV 772/786 [22:53]
Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004 (ca.1720) [28:38]
Three-Part Inventions, BWV 787-801 [27:35]
Janine Jansen (violin); Maxim
Rysanov (viola); Torleif Thedeén (cello)
rec. Teldex Studios, Berlin, 25-30 April 2007 (Inventions),
St Martin’s Church, Hampshire, 6-7 August 2007 (Partita) DECCA 4759081 [79:09]
Having seen this CD in the
shops over here in The Netherlands, I was surprised to receive
the review disc with the cover photo you see above. For some
reason, the picture of Janine Jansen as an almost chaste but
somewhat impish convent schoolgirl was considered suitable
for the international release – no doubt chiming in with the
otherwise fairly serious repertoire on the disc. The Dutch
release presents a rather peachier image (see right), but
before readers start clamouring for expensive imports sent
in plain
wrapping
I can reveal that the picture on the cover is included inside
the booklet for the International release, though that’s about
as exciting as it gets.
Marketing strategies aside, this is a gorgeous disc, through and through. “These
pieces are not played enough. They deserve to be played! They are such wonderful,
genius pieces.” Janine Jansen’s enthusiasm for these versions of Bach’s Inventions is
clear, and her background as a chamber musician is further elaborated in the
booklet notes. “I have played chamber music virtually all my life. When I was
nine years old my violin teacher put me in a piano quintet and I’ve never looked
back. It is so important to start at an early age because you learn to react
to what is going on around you in such a direct and intimate way. Chamber music
is so revealing - your true personality shines through in your playing. It
is one of my great loves.”
The
Two-part and Three-part Inventions are of course originally
solo keyboard pieces, and they appear her in straight transcriptions:
the Two-part Inventions for violin and viola, the Three-part
Inventions adding a cello. For the recording Janine and
colleagues worked directly from Bach’s originals, with Maxim
Rysanov’s viola part written out in the alto clef. Occasional
reference was made to the existing arrangement by Ferdinand
David, for whom Mendelssohn composed his E minor Violin Concerto,
but these adaptations only crop up when one of the instruments
needs to make an octave transposition for practical reasons
in order to play a melodic line. Jansen grew up with the Baroque
style, but, not claiming to be a specialist, has incorporated
Baroque performing to enrich an intuitive sense of the music: “It’s
an ongoing search to find a way to play Bach. And then of course
to play chamber music, to have two people coming together,
the challenge… is about finding the same musical idea, the
same character, the same articulation, the same phrasing.”
All
of the players contribute with the equal weight demanded of
such well balanced counterpoint, and with plenty of subtle
playing and early-music restraint all arguments against such
versions of this music are effortlessly brushed aside. The Two-part
Inventions can sometimes seem a little dry and academic
on the keyboard, and the small but significant differences
between the violin and viola enhance the music and bring it
to life charmingly. The same goes for the Three-part Inventions,
my only slight niggle being that the cello is placed on the
right, where Torleif Thedéen’s part would always be taken by
the left hand on the keyboard. This may well have been a deliberate
choice, removing these chamber-music performances as far as
possible from their origins. It’s certainly far from being
a serious point and the ear adjusts with no problems, but I’m
sure any pianist or harpsichord player will feel a slight twinge
of disorientation to start with.
The
central work on the CD is a solo performance of the justly
famous Partita No. 2 in D minor. This is of course a
core work of the violin repertoire, and Jansen admits to a
great deal of trepidation before recording the famous Chaconne.
Her approach is, much as with the chamber music, basically
romantic. She incorporates a natural expressive vibrato, and
compared just about any alternative I can name there are few
if any real surprises. Her Courante and Gigue are
both brisk and playful, the double-stoppings in the Sarabande and
elsewhere impeccably intonated, the whole being beautifully
phrased. She doesn’t go in for eccentric rubati or wilful extremes
of dynamic contrast, and when we do reach the Chaconne is
very much has the feeling of a continuation of the Partita
as a whole, rather than a stand-alone blockbuster. Just comparing
with one famous example also covered in these pages, that of Itzhak
Perlman, one immediately gets the sense of ease Jansen
has with this music. Perlman is more dramatic, emphasising
crucial points and maintaining a kind of visceral intensity
even through passages of transition: you can sense the sweat
building on Perlman’s brow. Jansen isn’t superficial in the Chaconne or
indeed elsewhere, but with a gentler vibrato and often less
weight from bow into string the contrasts come from a less
earthy basis. Her tone more silvery, and sometimes seems to
take off like dancing insects into a night sky – just listen
to those runs from about 4:09 into the piece. This however
means that the build up of intensity through the following
minutes is dramatic indeed. A similar effect comes from 11:36,
where the violin almost seems to want to vanish without trace,
to the incredible climax and an understated conclusion. Janine
Jansen’s pacing and control throughout this Partita is
excellent, and I’m sold completely: it can only be a matter
of time before she records all of the Sonatas and Partitas,
and I’ll be there in the queue.
The
recording of the solo Partita was done in a different
location to that of the Inventions, but both have a
similar resonance. All are done very well indeed, but the solo
violin recording is particularly toothsome and immediate, though
with a far greater presence than with the other works. All
of the instruments used are of interest: Jansen playing the ‘Barrere’ Stradivarius,
and both the viola and cello being original 18th century
examples. At nearly 80 minutes there can be no grumbles about
value, and with musicianship of the highest order this has
to be a Bach collection for anyone with an interest in chamber
music for strings and an alternative view on the Inventions.
Who knows, if the Dutch cover had crossed the border there
might even have been some Bach virgins tempted to try it for
the first time.
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