[Kjetil Heggelund]

Nice replies people! I have Szeryng and Grumiaux on CD (and prefer Szeryng). It's a long time since I listened to them since these days I like to hear the latest recordings with known and unknown performers.

 

[ClassicalMaestro]

I love the BWV 1001 Fugue on Guitar

 

[Josquin13]

If I had to pick just one recording of Bach's Sonatas & Partitas played on a modern strings, I'd choose Uto Ughi's RCA set, without much hesitation. Ughi has been one of the finest violinists I've heard over the past 4 decades or so, though surprisingly, he seems to fly a bit under the radar. Ughi's teacher, George Enescu played these works exceptionally well too (though the sound quality of his set is 'historical').

Other favorites have included violinist Josef Suk on EMI, Nathan Milstein's DG set (which I prefer to his EMI recordings), Oleg Kagan on Erato & Live Classics, and Salvatore Accardo. Jean-Jacques Kantorow can be interesting too, but I don't prefer his Denon set to those mentioned above. (By the way, Kantorow was one of Glenn Gould's favorite violinists.) I've yet to get to any of Christian Tetzlaff's several recordings, but hope to hear his latest set, at some point.

Tracking down Ughi's recording can be tricky these days, at least at a reasonable price (if interested, you might try Amazon Italy):

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Sonatas...&qid=1516470580&sr=1-1&keywords=uto+ughi+bach
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Sonate-...rd_wg=eWYOi&psc=1&refRID=WBS5YS3X0XXM25RYV16C
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Sonaten...6470580&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=uto+ughi+bach
https://www.amazon.com/Uto-Ughi-Col...=UTF8&qid=1516470798&sr=1-9&keywords=uto+ughi

http://www.utoughi.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Violin-...qid=1516471184&sr=1-1&keywords=Josef+Suk+bach

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Sonatas...&qid=1516473021&sr=1-1&keywords=Milstein+bach

https://www.amazon.com/Sonatas-Part...id=1516471063&sr=1-1&keywords=oleg+kagan+bach (The sound quality on the Erato set is preferable to the Apex 'discount' reissue, which I found grating.)

https://www.amazon.com/Partitas-Sol...id=1516471063&sr=1-6&keywords=oleg+kagan+bach

Among those I don't overly care for, I find Gidon Kremer to be too jarring and individualistic, even quirky, interpretatively--on both Phillips & ECM. Although, oddly enough, I've liked him very much in the violin concertos, especially in the Double Concerto, with violinist Tatiana Grindenko (an old Eurodisc recording). As for Heifetz, I find him too cold--not my cup of tea. In comparison, Menuhin has greater warmth.

If I were pressed to pick just one recording on a period instrument, I'd choose Stanley Ritchie on Musica Omnia: partly because, for me, it makes such a huge difference to hear this music played on a Jacob Stainer, 1670 violin, which is a violin that Bach himself played, and because Ritchie has performed and taught this music over the course of a lifetime & I found his interpretations unusually insightful & deep. (By the way, Ritchie was Ingrid Matthews' teacher.)

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Sonatas...16471392&sr=1-1&keywords=stanley+ritchie+bach

https://www.amazon.com/Accompanimen...rd_wg=anNuh&psc=1&refRID=QZ3GM0E4PEE7AXWQ4TC0

My other favorite period set comes from Hélène Schmitt on Alpha, whose playing I find soulful and flexible, rhythmically, which I enjoy on occasion (in contrast to others). (Amandine Beyer's set can be interesting too.)

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Sonatas...516471988&sr=1-2&keywords=Helene+Schmitt+bach
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Sonatas...516471988&sr=1-4&keywords=Helene+Schmitt+bach

I've yet to get to John Holloway's ECM set, but hope to--along with sets by François Fernandez, & Enrico Onofri. Plus, I'm hoping that Pablo Valetti and/or Emyln Ngai will record this music at some point, as I think very highly of both violinists' sets of Bach Violin Sonatas (with harpsichordists Celine Frisch and Peter Watchorn, respectively). I also might be interested to hear Enrico Gatti or Enrico Casazza play the Sonatas & Partitas, as well.

 

[Nate Miller]

I love the BWV 1001 Fugue on Guitar

BWV 1001 is from the Lute works, isn't it? There are also versions of the fugue for keyboard and doesn't it also appear in G minor for violin?

The keyboard version is a 5 voice fugue and has a couple extra bars

I've been fooling around with this one lately. I've never performed it, but I want to work with it when I get time later this year.

 

[Marc]

If I had to pick just one recording of Bach's Sonatas & Partitas played on a modern strings, I'd choose Uto Ughi's RCA set, without much hesitation. Ughi has been one of the finest violinists I've heard over the past 4 decades or so, though surprisingly, he seems to fly a bit under the radar. [...]

Good choice, I almost completely forgot about him... have to fix my radar, too.

 

[JSBach85]

If I were pressed to pick just one recording on a period instrument, I'd choose Stanley Ritchie on Musica Omnia: partly because, for me, it makes such a huge difference to hear this music played on a Jacob Stainer, 1670 violin, which is a violin that Bach himself played, and because Ritchie has performed and taught this music over the course of a lifetime & I found his interpretations unusually insightful & deep. (By the way, Ritchie was Ingrid Matthews' teacher.)

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Sonatas...16471392&sr=1-1&keywords=stanley+ritchie+bach

https://www.amazon.com/Accompanimen...rd_wg=anNuh&psc=1&refRID=QZ3GM0E4PEE7AXWQ4TC0

My other favorite period set comes from Hélène Schmitt on Alpha, whose playing I find soulful and flexible, rhythmically, which I enjoy on occasion (in contrast to others). (Amandine Beyer's set can be interesting too.)

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Sonatas...516471988&sr=1-2&keywords=Helene+Schmitt+bach
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Sonatas...516471988&sr=1-4&keywords=Helene+Schmitt+bach

I've yet to get to John Holloway's ECM set, but hope to--along with sets by François Fernandez, & Enrico Onofri. Plus, I'm hoping that Pablo Valetti and/or Emyln Ngai will record this music at some point, as I think very highly of both violinists' sets of Bach Violin Sonatas (with harpsichordists Celine Frisch and Peter Watchorn, respectively). I also might be interested to hear Enrico Gatti or Enrico Casazza play the Sonatas & Partitas, as well.

I've probably never known anybody reviewing so many recordings at once... Unfortunately I do not own so many recordings, how I envy you! But I realized that there are many brilliant performers of Bach Sonatas & Partitas for Violin solo on period instruments, I only own two recordings: Mullova and Kuijken, both mentioned above by Traverso. Holloway... is probably my favourite violin performer since I purchased and listened his Biber Rosary Sonatas, unfortunately I am unable to get his recording of Bach Sonatas & Partitas for violin. Interesting and I didn't know about Bach's Onofri, a notable musician of Vivaldi chamber works. Regarding Hélène Schmitt... I discovered this great violinist with her recording of Matteis, I will never forget this moment... greatest performer of Matteis ever! If her Bach's recording of Sonatas & Partitas holds the same level, I will purchased it blindly.

 

[Triplets]

Grumiaux, Perlman & Milstein are probably my favorites and probably in that order.

Very good choices. I also like the set by Sergiu Luca issued about 100 years ago on Nonesuch.

 

[EvaBaron]

So it seems Milstein on DG is a first choice, but for some reason I gravitate towards Perlman. He plays them very romantically and for some reason that would be a downside but his interpretation is just so beautiful that I can’t help but listen to them. Normally I don’t ever listen to perlman but this he really nails

 

[Enthalpy]

Why such old violinists, despite the instrument progressed a lot recently?

Clean technique from James Ehnes C1h6cnddQ74
and from Ilya Kaler PLs2vq238vU6nPIvdczN0uaBDtUSrrTnG5
Perfect good taste from Antal Zalai antalzalai
My preferred Ciaconna by Julia Fischer WZ0wkyRBlqo
Passionate and fascionating Ciaconna by Nemanja Radulovic MS1ATruO7f4
I didn't find the sonatas and partitas by Enrico Palascino, alas.

On the guitar, by Petra Polácková, for me a revelation: lxZqC_J0C74