Rating: 3/5
Review:
Fine technique but questionable interpretation
This disc has its moments and Nemanja Radulovic is a very
talented violinist, but overall I'm not very keen.
The disc consists of a variety of Bach pieces with a viola
concerto by CPE Bach. I was very pleased to hear this concerto; I
didn't know it and it is rather a lovely work which Radulovic and his ensemble
play very well with plenty of expression and well judged tempi. I also like the Gavotte from the third Violin
Partita which shows that Radulovic can produce something with real depth and
that he also has a fabulous tone.
However, I was much less keen on much of the rest.
Partly this is to do with tempo. A lot of this is taken very quickly indeed,
and while I'm all for a brisk approach to Bach's quicker movements, there is a
difference between that and hurtling through them at a show-off speed which
loses much of the weight and beauty of Bach's music. This was certainly true of the Double
Concerto for me, and even the sublime slow movement lacked the real sensuality
which Manze and Podger bring to it, for example. I'm afraid I also heartily disliked the
heavy-handed orchestration of the great Chaconne from the D minor Partita which
robs that sublime piece of almost all its mystery and emotion.
So, this wasn't for me.
There is fine technique here, but in spite of some good highlights, as
interpretations of Bach I can only give these a very lukewarm recommendation.
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