Johann Sebastian Bach(1685-1750)
Sonatas for Violin & Harpsichord, BWV 1014-1019
Suite in A minor, BWV 818a
Suite in E flat major, BWV 819a
Dorian 93233 & 93234(only available singly)
Recorded August/September 2000
Micaela Comberti, Baroque Violin
Colin Tilney, Harpsichord
TT 130:45
Summary: Not satisfying
Dorian has entered the Bach Violin & Harpsichord Sonata field rather late
in the game. Many excellent sets are currently on the market including
Blumenstock/Butt on Harmonia Mundi, Huggett/Koopman on Philips, van
Dael/van Asperen on Naxos, Kuijken/Leonhardt on DHM, and Podger/Pinnock on
Channel Classics. Any new contender must reach a high level of performance
quality to match these fine issues.
Colin Tilney has had an international reputation for many years. He has
recorded for Decca, Deutche Grammophon, Dorian, and Hyperion. His recorded
performances of Bach include the Toccatas BWV 910-916 and the complete Well
Tempered Clavier. Micaela Comberti, although of lesser reputation than
Tilney, is a veteran of the HIP movement. She has been a regular member of
the Trevor Pinnock's English Concert, the Salomon Quartet, and Collegium
Musicum 90.
The performances are generally low-key and beautiful. However, many other
recordings offer the beauty in the music and much more. Comberti is much
too relaxed with deficient animation and muscularity; she also never digs
deeply in the slow movements. Tilney is no improvement. Whenever it's
time for him to take center-stage, he becomes reticent and ordinary. His
cembalo solo from the last Sonata is perverse and unrewarding; the tempo
is laughably slow, and the performance is rich to the point of being thick.
In no movement does this team rise to the level of the best or even better
versions. Bach provides microcosms of the human condition; Comberti and
Tilney merely skim the surface.
My sad commentary on the set is as follows:
Sonata No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1014 - Blumenstock/Bull is my favorite
version of the B minor, although the fourth movement from Huggett and
Koopman is a thrilling foreboding experience. Comberti gives a fine
and idiomatic performance but does does not compare well to Blumenstock.
Comberti's fast movements are played on the slow side; she does provide
plenty of strength and momentum, but a quicker tempo would be advantageous
for generating more excitement. In the first movement, she entirely misses
the opportunity to deliver the violin's final outburst of accumulated
energy. With the third movement, Comberti isn't close to the depth of
emotion given by Blumenstock.
Sonata No. 2 in A major, BWV 1015 - The lack of depth from Comberti
continues in the A major's first and third movements. The second movement
allegro gives Tilney the opportunity to shine in the first repeat, but
he's far below the impact made by Leonhardt with Kuijken. Also, in this
movement and the fourth, Comberti plays in too relaxing a manner. There's
a lack of vital juices flowing from her violin and the performances. The
readings are certainly beautiful, but there is more to capture.
Sonata No. 3 in F major, BWV 1016 - The same patterns reappear for
Comberti and Tilney. Comberti again is rather low on depth and too
comfortable with little contrast. I did think she was going to pick up
the pace in the fourth movement; she starts out like 'gangbusters' but
doesn't keep up the momentum. It sounded like Tilney was trying to help
her maintain propulsion, but the effort didn't work.
There's little point in continuing with my work-by-work journey, because
Comberti's approach changes little in the last three Sonatas or in the
Suites for that matter. I would like to tell about Tilney's cembalo solo
in the Sonata No. 6; it's the least appealing performance I've ever heard.
Tilney slows it down so much that he robs the music of any excitement or
vitality. He makes it sound like a rich ballad. There might be some
superb artists who can use the extremely slow tempo to advantage, but
Tilney isn't among them. Overall, the set is heavy going when listening
straight through. It's just more of the same and becomes increasingly
unappetizing.
I should relate that the Classics Today web-site review had a much higher
opinion of the Comberti performances and considered them similar to the van
Dael readings on Naxos. Right, similar except that van Dael has a wealth
of depth and energy lacking in Comberti. Also, I found it odd that the
reviewer never mentioned Tilney's cembalo solo; it's a strange performance
regardless of the final opinion.
This new set will not be residing with me for long, and I recommend
staying clear of it. With all the wonderful versions on the market,
there's no reason to allow Comberti/Tilney to take up your time. The set
has certainly taken up my time, and I'm none the better for it. I'm not a
big fan of the Andrew Manze set on Harmonia Mundi, but I'd opt for that one
over Comberti any day of the week.
Don Satz
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