J. S. Bach: 6 Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord BWV 1014-9

Released (1996)

In 1717 Johann Sebastian Bach took up his appointment as Capellmeister to His Royal highness the Prince of Anhalt-Cothen. Bach spent six years in this position and this period of his life saw the appearance of almost all of his orchestral and chamber music, including the six sonatas for violin and harpsichord. These works may not have been the first ever sonatas for this combination of instruments, but they were amongst the first, and remain arguably the greatest set of sonatas for violin and harpsichord, full of sublime music. On this album we hear Johann Sebastian at his finest – a characteristic we experience wherein Bach creates a two-part dialogue embellished by the third voice; the structural and textural possibilities thus produced seem to be almost limitless in this beautiful study.

This is one of the only recordings of this work done since the 60’s, and was extremely well received by critics when it was first released. It is a great opportunity to hear these splendid sonatas captured, using high resolution 24 bit recording technology, in their full glory.

Masterfully played by the legend himself, Maestro Alberto Lysy, and his old student Lusia Majone. Maestro Lysy has played the world over and has climbed every rung of the classical music ladder as a soloist. He started the International Menuhin Music Academy alongside the legendary Yehudi Menuhin, which celebrated it’s 30th anniversary in 2008. He then formed his own Camerata (the Camerata Lysy) which acted as the performing wing of the Menuhin Academy. He recently anounced his retirement from the academy but he has expressed willingness to continue his illustrious performing career. One of the most distinguished musicians of our times, Alberto Lysy has played with such orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, the US National Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, the Symphony Orchestra of the RAI Roma and the Amsterdam Philharmonic, under famous conductors, among them Sir Adrian Boult, Sir Colin Davis, Pierre Boulez, Mstislav Rostropovitch, to mention but a few.