Octo_Russ

Bach - Violin Concerto 1 [Hahn/Kahane-Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra]

Another re-listen of this Concerto, it found it's way in my blog 6 months ago [11th June 2010], and now re-appears after a second spin, well this is fast becoming a very well played disc, this has appeared in my Blog 7 times this year [though not the same work], it's already in my all-time top 100, and at this rate could well enter into my top 10 in a few years, yes it's that good, it's so nice to buy a disc and play it to death because you love it so much.

Hilary Hahn is now 31, she was born in Virginia USA, and she made this excellent recording in 2002, this is one of the very best front booklet covers that DG have ever issued, they were wise to finally get rid of that huge yellow logo that took up a third of the picture, and instead create a small logo in the corner, the front photo [by Kasskara] is nigh on perfect, a lovely shade of blue all round, nice creamy skin tones, excellent lettering, even the back insert is so well laid out and clear, even before i spin the disc i've had an excellent experience!.

Again it's the first movement which i liked the most, straight from the outset i can hear its minor key-ness orchestral intro [0:00-0:28], there's a degree of dissonance and darkness here, it's exciting, major key can represent sweet and easy going, but this represents serious hues of darker colours, when the soloist comes in [0:28+], it's a great moment, i like the way that soloist and orchestra intertwine, because it's a small chamber group, i feel that it isn't the 'big' orchestra v the 'big' Violinist, but Hilary Hann sounds a part of the group, right in there in their midst, the disc is recorded so superbly well, all the different stringy sinews can be heard, towards the end of the first movement, Hahn plays three nice little downward trills, one after another [2:35-2:41], what a difference an extra little embellishment makes!, the whole Concerto takes only 13:30, but short on quantity still means long on quality for Bach / Hahn, i came late in my Classical love to this Concerto, but now i'm here i'm glad i arrived.

Here's Hilary Hahn playing excerpts from all three movements of BWV 1041 on YouTube.