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Bach:
The Sonatas and Partitas CRITIC'S
CHOICE: ONE OF THE TWO BEST RECORDS OF 1998 (FOUR
STARS)"British
guitarist Paul Galbraith has made something of a sensation in the
guitar world by creating (with luthier David Rubio) an eight-string
guitar on which he can play all six of Bach's solo violin sonatas
and partitas without pausing to retune . . . all of this, plus some
dazzling technique, enables Galbraith to give a flawless performance
of this music, making it sound as though it was originally conceived
for this instrument . . . there is no question that the result is
a set of extraordinarily skillful, cohesive and (the right word here)
passionate performances . . . The plain truth is that these readings
are more unified and more technically proficient than anything I've
ever heard from a violinist! And they certainly make sensational guitar
music with a remarkable depth of feeling." (FIVE
STARS) CLASSICAL CD OF THE WEEK. "His
interpretations, no matter how idiosyncratic, are always interesting
. . . his enlarged guitar echoes the wide range of the Baroque lute
(for which Bach himself transcribed some of this music) while affording
a plush tone . . . his playing has a firm spiritual core." "Some
of the most interesting and flat-out enjoyable music and playing in
any style today can be heard on (the guitar), as a crop of new releases
demonstrates . . . Galbraith has striking ideas about the six sonatas
and partitas for solo violin that are refreshing yet thoroughly Bachian
in spirit . . . While Galbraith's reverence for the spirit of these
scores is clear, he takes thoughtful departure from the letter of
the Bachian law in the texture of these arrangements. He consulted
Bach's own keyboard and lute adaptations of some of this material,
and even Brahms' (piano) arrangement of the great Chaconne, resulting
here in an uncommonly sweet denouement to that pivotal movement. .
. the clarity and strength of the instrument and playing are unmistakable
. . . intensely commited music-making . . . He deals with the sonata
abstractions eloquently and delivers a fluid sense of kinetic spirits
in the partita dances." "(A)
wonderful new recording . . . Mr. Galbraith is a virtuoso guitarist
and a master musician." "This
CD appeals to the listener on several levels, and that interests me
more than much of what I hear in classical music . . . This is quite
an awesome session played on a unique instrument, and it sounds as
though he is indeed in your living room, pouring his heart and soul
into the music. I just don't have enough two-dollar words to describe
it!" (FOUR
AND A HALF STARS) "A remarkable recording . . . Galbraith
proves to be a player not only of exceptional technical accomplishment,
but also of penetrating understanding of the spiritual values in Bach's
music . . . impeccably phrased and nuanced, with an almost total absence
of the sliding finger noise which seems to be inevitable with the
guitar. The result is recordings of the three Sonatas and three Partitas
which sweep me so deeply into the music that after a while I tend
to forget which instrument I'm hearing. It seems as though I'm just
hearing pure Bach, as originally conceived . . . Don't miss this recording." "Beautifully
executed, brilliantly and profoundly interpreted, and makes the listener
aware anew of the majesty of this almost impossibly beautifully music
. . . Galbraith shines some interesting lights and creates some wonderful
contrasts not always apparent in the violin version. The sonics are
superb. Highly recommended." "Galbraith's
deeply thoughtful and technically masterful rendition of Bach's Six
Sonatas and Partitas will be a resource for guitarists studying Bach
transcription techniques for decades to come . . . exhilarating beyond
compare . . . a joy." "A
new milestone of considerable impact on the history of guitar . .
. Galbraith's riveting performance displays a virtuosity that does
not sacrifice musicality . . . the playing is continuously inspired
. . . passionate commitment and expressive musicianship in accord
with Bach's spiritual legacy." "Paul
Galbraith plays a specially designed eight-string guitar and makes
it sound like magic as he traverses the three sonatas and three partitas
that J.S. Bach wrote for violin . . . Galbraith gets an incredible
sound from his guitar . . . Galbraith's arrangements and playing of
all six works are breathtaking." "Under
his nimble fingers, these solo Bach pieces ring out with exquisite
clarity, resonant with the spiritual and earthly yearning Bach poured
into them." "I
find myself in the difficult position of expressing, without too much
hyberbole, the quality and richness of Paul Galbraith's rendition
of these works . . . it obvious that Mr. Galbraith feels for the works
in a most profound way and the level of musical expression is second
to none. Listeners will be thrilled by the depth that is achieved
in the musical expression by the added deep bass notes that resonate
richer (in my opinion) than a Baroque lute, but still retain the quality
of sound characteristic of the guitar...Having heard over twenty different
recordings of the Chaconne it is this author's opinion that this is
one of the finest ever recorded . . . . this is one of the finest
CD collections I have ever ever heard. If you have to have one recording
of the Sonatas and Partitas, then this is the one!" "This
recording is a revelation: Galbraith manages to impart more color
and range to the music than would most any violinist . . . There are
few, if any, limits to what he can do with his guitar, and to the
sensitivity with which he does it. While still a teenager, Galbraith
won accolades from Segovia himself, and I do hear similarities between
their introspective but assured playing styles." Paul Galbraith Plays Haydn (Delos 3239) "A
beautiful album . . . typically, he performs the pieces for all they're
worth, which is a lot . . . This disc should have every chance of
repeating the success of Galbraith's recent dark-horse hit, a two-disc
Delos set of his transcriptions of Bach's solo violin works that landed
in the top ten of Billboard's classical chart last year . . . a textbook
case of the living, breathing art of classical music." "Galbraith's
eight-string instrument, with its cello peg and sounding box, plus
an amazing technique, allows him a wide range of harmonic possibilities
. . . your jaw will still drop at Galbraith's facility and how natural
the music seems on the guitar." "On
his second solo release for the Delos label, Paul Galbraith once again
pulls out all the stops . . . The depth, elegance, and joy that Galbraith
finds in these sonatas allow his interpretations to hold their own
even when compared to those of the best pianists." "EDITOR'S
CHOICE: The cream-of-the-crop of the most recent recordings .
. . nothing short of amazing . . . a rare item in the classical guitar
world: A top-notch recording that offers something new."
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