St. John’s Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo is quintessential Bach for the 21st Century on a number of levels. One, she has lost none of her youthful and daring enthusiasm for the time-worn pieces while gaining a certain gravity that allows her to reveal additional treasures contained in the Master’s scores. Her "Sonata no. 1 in G minor Fuga" shimmers like the dancing dimes of a hard rain on a lake, each note individual, all collected as one. The corresponding "Partita no. 1 in B minor," while plaintive remains playful and full of dance while still possessing that dark roasted minor-key character. St. John’s intonation and approach are flawless.
Of further note are the newly recorded "Partita no. 2 in D Minor," "BWV 1004 and Sonata no. 3. in C Major" and "BWV 1005," reprised here from her debut recording which, like her original "Sonata no. 1 in G minor," retains its fresh vibrancy buoyed by the gravity of experience and understanding that ten years of having to do it has provided the violinist. While maturing as an artist, St. John refuses to smother the repertoire, allowing it to breathe and breathe properly in today’s modern environment.
The technical aspects of Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo are also impressive by any standard. St. John had a very specific idea of what she wanted regarding the miking and engineering of these performances. For the task, the violinist tapped Martha de Francesco to produce the recording. St. John desired a perfectly natural sound for her 1779 “Salabue” Guadagnini not to be marred by saccharine reverberation or other artificial effects. Engineer Leslie Ann Jones elected a microphone setup that used a variety of microphones arranged in specific locations with respect to St. John during the recordings.
The goal was to capture the violin in a unique three-dimensional manner. In an ingenious combination of old and new technology, DPA and Neumann microphones in cardioid and omni-directional presentation were arranged for depth while the plushness of the instrument was amply captured by an AEA88 ribbon microphone and the warmth by vintage M50 Neumann microphones run through tube amplifiers. This methodology is similar to the contemporary attempts to capture the blues harmonica sound of Little Walter Jacobs by using a combination and analogue and digital methods. The results for St. John are spectacular in the hybrid SACD-CD form of the final released product. When played on super audio equipment, Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo is more than one could possibly sonically ask for.
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