Bach: Works For Violin Solo

How many times have listeners heard yet ANOTHER performance/recording of the warhorse D minor Partita? I hear it played at least 3 times a year at the Conservatory! That said, Lara St. John's Bach disc is one which WILL sit in the memory. Listeners and critics may argue for or against her interpretations, but that belies the fact that her recording actually SAYS something. How many other recordings are 'nice', 'fine' or 'good'? Do they do anything beyond that? Her interpretations are BOLD, powerful and insightful wielding her instrument to sculpt Bach's counterpoint like clay. Each passage and turn brings out some new shape. No where is this more apparent than in the C Major Sonata where she keeps the droll of the opening ostinato and background while adding more sound to shape the outer voices as they come to the foreground. The control required to create such a line are so refreshing and ultimately exhilarating. If you want a hint in understanding Bach's 'complexity', listen to Lara St. John unravel it one phrase at a time.

No other violinist I have ever heard has this gift. This will go to my desert island top five without hesitation. Her Bach Concerto album should be up there too, but that would be unfair to Beethoven, Mozart, and so many other friends. The recording is exceptional even for an HDCD played on normal players. Fine details of bowing can be clearly heard while still preserving the sweet tone of her instrument in the highest registers. Bravo WTP.