Anything is possible
Johann Sebastian Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo rank among the absolute masterpieces to have appeared not only in violin literature, but in the history of the Western musical world as such. These works reveal the composer’s intention to explore and make the most of all imaginable facilities offered by the musical material. Back in the 18th century, Bach was already living according to a maxim which now appears in the manual of all modern managers: “There is no such thing as can’t do!”. However, Bach worded this in a more elaborate manner: “It must be possible to do anything.”

Numerous violin virtuosos, both past and present, have already attempted to clarify what is possible. Now the young German violinist Julia Fischer (whose CD début with Russian violin concertos has also been released on the PentaTone label) is also tackling Bach by means of his Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo. When still very young, Julia Fischer already made an in-depth study of these works and, as she herself says, not a day goes by without her playing Bach. Furthermore, her admitted fascination for Glenn Gould, the eccentric “demon of the keys” whose Bach interpretations have become – often disturbing – milestones in the history of interpretation, makes one curious about Julia Fischer’s approach to these works.
The Sei solo à violino senza basso accompagnato are available to us in an extraordinarily beautiful fair copy penned by the composer himself. The addition of “Libro primo” (= first book) clearly indicates Bach’s intention to follow the collection with a second book – the six suites for cello. If one listens intensively, it becomes clear that the six sonatas and partitas for violin solo conceal more than just a purely pedagogic intention of the composer – here, tremendous technical and equally intellectual demands are made of both interpreter and listener. Nevertheless, for a long period of time, the prevailing opinion was that the six sonatas and partitas for violin solo represented nothing but exercises, which served “to learn how to make use of all facets of an instrument”. Even a composer of Robert Schumann’s standing believed he could save these works for the benefit of the public only by publishing his arrangement with “pianoforte accompaniment”. Not until the solo performances given by the famous violinist Joseph Joachim in the 1890’s did the reception given these works improve, which finally dispelled the prejudice of their being compositions of purely pedagogic value.
From then onwards, the sonatas and partitas were considered to be intimate and highly individual chamber-music works, by means of which the greatest violinists proved their worth. Here, Bach does not employ the distinctive virtuosity as an objective in itself; rather, he uses it to intensify the expression and to bring about a greater spiritual profundity in the almost inexhaustible material. Without any extra-musical programme, the sonatas and partitas are absolute music in the truest sense of the word, music “in itself”.
Through the sequence of sonata – partita here, Bach unites the two probably most important cyclical forms of chamber music in the Baroque: thus, the three sonatas keep to the church sonata form (sonata da chiesa) as created by Corelli, in which the movements alternate slow – fast – slow – fast. Although the partitas, one of which follows each sonata, are based on the traditional sequence of movements, i.e. Allemande – Courante – Sarabande – Gigue, they are each composed in a highly distinctive and individual manner, in contrast to Bach’s Cello Suites. The collection of the “Sei Solo” is based on a symmetrical construction, as far as the choice of keys is concerned: thus the interval sequence, i.e. third – second – fourth – second – third, which lies behind the stringing together of the tonics G-B-A-D-C-E symbolizes a superior total planning.
In each of the three sonatas, the second movement (which elaborates on the tradition initiated by Corelli) takes the form of a fugue and is fully developed, as far as both contents and musical demands are concerned, as the nucleus of the work. Bach makes the most of the violin’s capacity for multiple-stopping (playing two or more strings at any one time) and only in a few places does he grant interpreter and public alike reprieve from the demands of polyphony. Monophonic movements appear alongside these polyphonic (generally three-part) movements, which also include the famous Ciaccona that concludes Partita No. 2, which stretches the possibilities of the instrument to the limit, and which is Bach’s only major variation movement in his chamber-music works. In these monophonic movements, Bach manages in a unique manner to “insinuate” the harmony concealed by the unaccompanied melodic line.
There is probably no other cycle of work in which Bach stretches his own maxim “It must be possible to do anything” to such limits as in his Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo. The composition of these works spurred him on to a remarkable achievement, which may be considered an intensification of all composition methods he had so far employed, a synthesis of representative and “toiled-at” art. Johannes Brahms must have agreed with this, when he wrote the following in admiration: “In one stave, for a small instrument, the man composes a complete world of the most profound thoughts and most powerful feelings”.

“However, what makes this set one to place alongside Arthur Grumiaux and Menuhin’s first versions is Fischer’s musical penetration. Despite her youth, her playing has the patience and spiritual maturity of one who has lived much longer…. Many recordings are played once or at most twice, then consigned to the shelves. The best possible recommendation for this set is that after something like ten auditions one knows that the discs will still be played again.”
--Douglas Cooksey, classicalsource.com

MUSICWEB, June 5, 2005
RECORDING OF THE MONTH
“You may want to buy this disk now for comparison later, as there is no doubt we will be hearing a great deal from Julia Fischer in the years to come. ….Why do we need SACD for violin recording? I remember when stereo LPs cost a dollar more than monophonic we would debate with ourselves whether stereo was worth a dollar or not. But violin sound is one of the most difficult sounds there is to record, and it uses every bit of the full range of the SACD if realism is to be attained. I came to listen to these recordings direct from a live solo violin concert and at once appreciated what had been accomplished here, evident even on the CD tracks on this hybrid disk. Listen to the CD tracks and be impressed; then listen to the SACD tracks and be bowled over.”
--Paul Shoemaker , Musicweb

“The rich tone she brings to the sarabande of the B minor partita, the bravura of her fugues in the three sonatas and the breathtaking intensity of her playing of the great ciaccona of the D minor partita reveal a musician of already immense achievement and even greater promise. Memorable.”
Four stars
Hugh Canning,The Sunday Times

“Often the jaw simply drops. Can this really be one violinist performing? But it is. So give triple thanks: to Bach’s genius, to Fischer’s exciting gifts, and, not least, the formidable character of her violin itself, a 1750 Guadagnini.”
--Geoff Brown, The Times (London)

“Conventional wisdom suggests that SACD rewards are minimal in recordings of a single, unaccompanied instrument. Not here. Without the slightest sense of artificial manipulation, the sound seems to be flying around your head in these incredibly assured, fleet performances.”
Philadelphia Inquierer

“That she is a phenomenal musician technically and emotionally is apparent from this remarkable two-disc set of Bach's sonatas and partitas, played with extraordinary insight and intensity. Turn to the most obvious example, the Chaconne from the D minor Partita, and you will hear a technique controlled by musicianship of a very high order indeed.
But there are many other pleasures; the opening G minor sonata, for example, performed not only with grace and skill but with wit, too. Polyphony and multiple-stopping hold no terrors for this young lady, and if there is anyone who still thinks Bach is merely cerebral they should listen to these discs.”
--Michael Kennedy,The Sunday Telegraph

“Le CD du mois”: Classica Repertoire (july/august 2005)

« An exceptional young player finds much to savour in six indelible masterpieces”
--Rob Cowan, The Gramophone

“PentaTone’s DSD surround sound sonics are perfect for this music and this interpretation.”
--James Reel, Fanfare

Julia Fischer
Julia Fischer was born in Munich, Germany in 1983, and now ranks among the top violinists performing for audiences around the globe. Reviews include the following praise: “...not a talent, but a full-fledged phenomenal violinist...”, “...she takes your breath away...”, “...worthy of a hailstorm of superlatives...”, “...a winning blend of steely assurance and unabashed lyricism...”.
Julia Fischer has worked with such internationally acclaimed conductors as Lorin Maazel, Christoph Eschenbach, Yehudi Menuhin, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Bernhard Klee, Asher Fish, Marek Janowski, Jeffrey Tate, Simone Young, Herbert Blomstedt, Yakov Kreizberg, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Sir Neville Marriner, David Zinman, Michael Tilson Thomas, Mikhail Jurowski, as well as with a variety of top orchestras from Germany, Britain, the US, Poland, France, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Japan and Slovakia. She has performed in most European countries, the United States, Brasil and Japan. Her concerts have been broadcast on television and radio in every major European country, as well as on many US, Japanese and Australian radio stations.
In 2003, Julia Fischer – who has appeared in concert halls in the US since 1997 – performed with the New York Philharmonic under Lorin Maazel, playing the Sibelius Violin Concerto in New York’s Lincoln Center as well as the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in Vail, CO. Her 2003 Carnegie Hall début received standing ovations for her performance of Brahms’ Double Concerto with Lorin Maazel, Ha-Na Chang and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. In autumn 2003, she toured with Herbert Blomstedt and the Gewandhaus Orchestra throughout Germany, the UK and Austria. In January 2004, Julia Fischer embarked on her second tour with Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, this time through Germany.
Her chamber music partners include Christoph Eschenbach, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Daniel Müller-Schott, Tabea Zimmermann, Gustav Rivinius, Lars Vogt and Milana Chernyavska.
Julia Fischer began playing the violin before the age of four, receiving her first lesson from Helge Thelen; and a few months later, she started studying the piano with her mother Viera Fischer. Her formal violin education commenced at the Leopold Mozart Conservatory in Augsburg, under the tutelage of Lydia Dubrowskaya. At the age of nine, she was admitted to the Munich Academy of Music, where she continues to work with Ana Chumachenco.
Julia Fischer has won many competitions, the most prestigious of which include the International Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition under Yehudi Menuhin’s supervision (where she won both the first prize and the special prize for best performance of a solo work by Bach in 1995); and the Eighth Eurovision Competition for Young Instrumentalists in 1996, which was broadcast in 22 countries from Lisbon. In 1997, Julia Fischer was awarded the “Prix d’Espoir” by the Foundation of European Industry.
In 2004, Julia Fischer signed an exclusive recording contract with PentaTone Classics.
Her active repertoire ranges from Bach to Penderecki, from Vivaldi to Shostakovitch, and includes over 40 works with orchestra as well as some 60 chamber-music works. Julia Fischer currently performs on a Jean Baptiste Guadagnini from 1750

Russian National Orchestra

The Russian National Orchestra has been in demand throughout the music world since its 1990 Moscow début. The first Russian orchestra to perform at the Vatican and in Israel, the RNO maintains an active schedule of touring and is a frequent guest at major festivals. Of the orchestra’s 1996 début at the BBC Proms in London, the Evening Standard wrote: “They played with such captivating beauty that the audience gave an involuntary sigh of pleasure.” By the time of the RNO’s 10th anniversary, the orchestra had been reviewed as a “major miracle” (Time Out New York) and classical music’s “story of the decade” (International Arts Manager). In 2004, the RNO was described as “a living symbol of the best in Russian art” (Miami Herald) and “as close to perfect as one could hope for” (Trinity Mirror).
Gramophone magazine listed the first RNO CD (1991) as the best recording of Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique in history, and reviewed it as follows: “An awe-inspiring experience; should human beings be able to play like this?”. Since then, the RNO has made more than 30 recordings for Deutsche Grammophon and PentaTone Classics, with conductors such as Mikhail Pletnev, Mstislav Rostropovich, Kent Nagano and Alexander Vedernikov.
In 2003, the orchestra signed a new multi-disc agreement with PentaTone Classics. One of the first results of this collaboration – a recording of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Beintus’ Wolf Tracks, conducted by Kent Nagano – won a 2004 Grammy Award, which made the RNO the first Russian orchestra ever to win the recording industry’s highest honour.
Unique among the principal Russian ensembles, the RNO is independent of the government and has developed its own path-breaking structure. It is perhaps the only orchestra to have established a Conductor Collegium, a group of internationally renowned conductors who share the podium leadership.
Another innovation is Cultural Allies, which was created in 2001. Cultural Allies encompasses exchanges between artists in Russia and the West, and also commissions new works. Prominent RNO partners in Cultural Allies include Dave and Chris Brubeck, Hélène Grimaud, Sophia Loren, Wynton Marsalis, John Corigliano and Michael Tilson Thomas.
The Russian National Orchestra is supported by private funding and is governed by a distinguished multinational board of trustees. Affiliated organizations include the Russian National Orchestra Trust (UK), the Russian Arts Foundation and the American Council of the RNO.