Bach Sonatas.
While the solo sonatas for violin alone are one of the most well-known compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, his works for violin and piano are also amazingly beautiful and frequently very moving.
During his lifetime, Bach lost his first wife and also a number of his children. It is said that these sad events led to the profound emotion expressed in the six sonatas for violin and piano.
I’ve been listening to these sonatas for the past several days, and the interpretations by German violinist Frank Peter Zimmerman and pianist Enrico Pace are really outstanding. See image of the DVD at the left side.
Mr. Zimmerman plays on a Stradivari violin created in 1711, and the tone he elicits out of this 300 – year old instrument is gorgeous.
The accompaniment provided by Mr. Pace is excellent. There is also a wonderful documentary by Mr. Zimmerman called “Bach and Me”, which provides a lot of further insight into the composer and the performing artists.
This would be a great gift for any music lover who enjoys the amazing music by J. S. Bach.
Here is Bach’s Sonata for Violin & Piano BWV 1018 F minor, performed by F. P. Zimmermann, and Enrico Pace:
http://youtu.be/1MnrdacdUkw
And next from the same DVD, here is Bach’s sonata #4 in C-Minor:
Tags: Frank Peter Zimmerman, Enrico Pace, Bach, sonatas, violin, piano