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Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Sonata
in G for viola da gamba and harpsichord BWV1027 [15:17]
Trio in
D minor BWV583 [6:02]
Trio in G minor BWV584 [3:10]
Sonata in
D for viola da gamba and harpsichord BWV1028 [18:09]
Keyboard Sonata
in A minor BWV967 [3:59]
Keyboard Sonata in D BWV963 [10:27]
Sonata in G minor for viola da gamba and harpsichord BWV1029 [18:39]
Mikko Perkola (viola
da gamba), Aapo Häkkinen (harpsichord)
rec. St Peter’s Church, Siuntio, Finland, 15-17 October 2006 NAXOS 8.570210 [75:42]
The main works on
this disc are the three Sonatas, composed either during the period
that Bach was in Cöthen at the same time as the great bass viol-player
C.F. Abel, or later during his time in Leipzig when he wrote many
works for the Collegium Musicum. They are wonderfully varied,
each in the form of a trio sonata in which the harpsichord plays
the bass and one of the upper parts and the gamba the other.
There have been many
recordings, including some using cello and piano, a combination
which all too often sounds simply too heavy and unwieldy for the
music. I thought initially that this was the case here, but soon
realised that this was simply a result of playing the disc at
too high a volume. Once I had rectified this the very beautiful
sounds of the instruments became a source of considerable pleasure.
The harpsichord – a copy by Joel Katzman of a 1769 instrument
by Pascal Taskin – has a particularly lovely sound, heard to especial
advantage in the two solo keyboard Sonatas. There is always a
problem in balancing the two upper lines in the Sonatas and here
the gamba is somewhat too far forward for my liking. This has
the effects of making the intertwining of the upper parts hard
to hear at times and of making the gamba sound at times harsh,
almost as though the player was trying to copy the sheer power
of the modern cello.
The very first track
provides an immediate surprise which proves to be characteristic
of the disc as a whole. The G major Sonata exists also in a probably
earlier version for two flutes and continuo. It is common for
performers of either version to play the first movement, marked adagio,
at a flowing speed where the 12/8 bars can be heard as a whole
and where the quavers become a kind of barcarolle. That is not
the case here. The players take it very slowly, and then add to
the effect by applying slight hesitations, presumably to point
the phrases. This is disconcerting at first but does mean that
the phrases are heard more lyrically and without any sense of
haste. A similar approach applies throughout the disc, even in
what you would expect to be quick movements. Some do gain from
this, but the first movement of the last Sonata – marked vivace – plods
along, altogether missing the sense of being a brother to the
3rd Brandenburg Concertos that we are used to. All
of this might be enough immediately to put you off the disc, but
that would be a pity as it is otherwise notable for the variety
of tone and articulation that Mikko Perkola obtains, and for the
wonderful phrasing and line achieved by both players. Even where
I am not convinced overall by their approach it is clear that
it has always been carefully considered and realised.
Similar comments can
be made about the remainder of this well-filled disc. The two
Trios BWV 583 and 584 – the latter of which is probably not by
Bach – are usually heard on the organ but work well in these arrangements.
The keyboard works, not often played, are in many ways the most
enjoyable parts of the recital as a whole.
This is not then a “safe” option
for anyone wanting a single recording of the three Sonatas; it
is too idiosyncratic for that. Given the sheer beauty of the playing
and the logic of the performances even where you may think them
most wrongheaded, I can however recommend it to anyone interested
in a thoughtful if not entirely convincing reconsideration of
how these works should sound.
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