Jennifer Koh - Bach and Beyond, Part I (2012)

Bach & Beyond, Pt. 1, Jennifer Koh's 2012 release on Çedille, is a straightforward and fairly standard recital of music for solo violin, though its chief interest lies in the high quality of her playing. Violin programs typically feature J.S. Bach's partitas, and Koh has selected the most popular, the Partita No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006, and the Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004, so the familiarity of these pieces goes a long way in making this CD marketable. Another composer who is regularly featured is Eugène Ysaÿe, whose Sonata No. 2, Op. 27, is directly tied to BWV 1006 through its quotations, so its inclusion is obvious. Koh's choice of two short contemporary works may seem obligatory, though Kaija Saariaho's Nocturne and Missy Mazzoli's Dissolve, O My Heart are approachable and different enough in character from the Bach and Ysaÿe work to provide contrast. But the main reason to hear this CD isn't primarily for the selections, but rather more for the playing, which Koh imbues with energy and deep feeling. Her performance of Bach's Partita in E major is scintillating and vibrant, and her Ysaÿe is flashy, brooding, desultory, and ultimately soulful. The Saariaho and Mazzoli pieces are somewhat opaque in expression, though Koh gives them enough coherence in her measured interpretations to give the listener a handle on them. But the high point of this album surely lies in her eloquent reading of the Partita in D minor, most notably of the demanding Ciaccona (Chaconne), which is one of the crowning pieces in the repertoire, and a fine example of this polished violinist's abilities.