Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Piano Transcriptions - Volume 10
The Complete Transcriptions published in 1862 by Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
Ouverture from Cantata No.29 BWV29 [3:52]
Adagio from Cantata No.3 BWV3 [4:29]
Andantino from Cantata No. 8 BWV8 [6:47]
Bourée from Partita No.1 for solo violin BWV1002 [3:09]
Andante from Partita No.2 for solo violin BWV1003 [4:57]
Presto from Cantata No.35 BWV35 [3:17]
The Complete Transcriptions published in 1873 by Camille SAINT-SAËNS
Introduction et Air from Cantata No.15 BWV15 (correctly, Johann Ludwig BACH) [2:52]
Fugue from Sonata No.3 for solo violin BWV1005 [7:04]
Largo from Sonata No.3 for solo violin BWV1005 [3:09]
Récitatif et air from Cantata No.30 BWV30 [2:29]
Gavotte from Partita No.3 for solo violin BWV1006 [2:55]
Air from Cantata No.36 BWV36 [3:23]
Chœur from Canata No.30 BWV30 [2:41
Transcriptions by Isidore PHILIPP (1863-1958)
Concerto in A minor (after Vivaldi) BWV593; transcription published in 1923
[12:58]
Concerto in D minor (after Vivaldi) BWV596 [13:05]
Nadejda Vlaeva (piano)
rec. November 2010, St Silas the Martyr, St Silas Place, London
HYPERION CDA67873 [77:09] 
It’s salutary to realise that this is now the tenth volume in Hyperion’s ‘Piano
Transcriptions’ series, one that is proving outstanding in every way. Whereas
volume nine was devoted to transcriptions by a phalanx of British composers
— Berners, Goossens, Howells, Fryer, Bax, Borwick, Bantock.— this one concentrates
on two Frenchmen. The majority of works are from the two sets of transcriptions
published by Saint-Saëns, but there are also two big Bach-Vivaldi transcriptions
by the great pianist Isidore Philipp.
Saint-Saëns’ transcriptions were published in 1862 and 1873 and were clearly
helpful in propagating Bach’s works domestically and professionally in France.
They are also stunningly impressive in their own right. For both sets he chose
music from cantatas, and solo violin works. The earlier set opens with the
Ouverture from Cantata No. 29 in which Nadejda Vlaeva displays a splendid
sense of colour and rhythmic energy, applying bass accenting with apposite
weight and voicing appealingly. The Adagio from Cantata No. 3 is full
of expression and then pealing vehemence, Saint-Saëns exploiting the rapid
oscillation between the two for its full effect. The richly plangent Andantino
from Cantata No.8 is one of the disc’s highlights. The single movements
from the First Violin Partita and the Second Violin Sonata are deftly played,
and fully assured contrapuntally. As ever Saint-Saëns knows how to end a sequence
and as with his fabulous Études, he ends the first set with a scintillating
transcription of the Presto from Cantata No.35.
For the later set he took the Fugue from the Third Sonata for Violin,
adding its Largo for good measure — and there’s plenty of panache and
bravado here, and effulgence in the latter movement. The piece that ends this
second set, the Choeur from Cantata No.30, is textually quite thick,
and genuinely celebratory.
Isidore Philipp (1863-1958) was a friend of Saint-Saëns, and a most distinguished
musician in his own right. In 1935 he recorded some of his friend’s cello
music with Paul Bazelaire, a disc still available on Pearl. His rich, powerful
transcriptions of the two Bach (after Vivaldi) concertos are resplendent,
exciting, virtuosically inclined in their extrovert intensity, and their richly
refined and rewarding slow movements. Their confidence, dramatic octave doublings,
and swagger, make for blistering, and wholly marvellous listening.
As ever Hyperion’s booklet is first class in all respects and the recorded
sound is perfectly judged.
Bulgarian pianist Nadejda Vlaeva proves a heroic interpreter of these works,
driving through with panache, rounded tone, richly balanced chords, strikingly
intimate gestures and intense, but never tone-forced, splendour.
Jonathan Woolf
Driven through with panache, rounded tone, strikingly intimate gestures and
intense, but never tone-forced, splendour.