Anne Akiko Meyers - Air: The Bach Album (2012) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

This new recording of Bach's masterpieces for violin and orchestra is Anne's third release for eOne. Alongside the two concertos for violin, Anne has recorded the Concerto for Two Violins, performing both parts on her two Stradivari violins: her recently acquired Ex-Napoleon Molitor Stradivarius (as featured on "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" on MSNBC) and the Royal Spanish Stradivarius, heard on her last two eOne recordings. Also included on this disc are exquisite new arrangements of the "Air" from the Suite No. 3 and the Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria." Anne is quoted as saying "It was magical recording the Bach album with the English Chamber Orchestra and the 'Ex-Molitor/Napoleon' Stradivari violin, dated 1697. The special combination of beautiful repertoire, including 'Air', 'Largo' and 'Ave Maria', the Violin Concertos and the fresh take of recording both parts of the Double Concerto on 2 different Strads, was pure joy to make!".

This release by California violinist Anne Akiko Meyers looks both backward and forward. Meyers' playing is a throwback to a style of Bach playing that was common a couple of generations ago but isn't much heard anymore: flowery, heavy on the vibrato, a bit sentimental, with moments of slight tempo rubato in both the violin and the orchestral accompaniment of the English Chamber Orchestra (which was always the go-to group for this style) under Steven Mercurio. The novelty factor here involves the magic of overdubbing, which has been commonplace in pop since Patti Page's hits of the 1940s but is still a rarity in classical music: Meyers uses a pair of Stradivarius violins in the Concerto for two violins, strings, and continuo in D minor, BWV 1043, playing both herself. Whether or not you are fully on board with these approaches, you're likely to agree that Meyers executes them both quite well. Her pitch is precise in the Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041, and she pulls on the heartstrings in the arrangements of the so-called Air on a G string from the Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068, and the Bach/Gounod Ave Marie. But the real attraction is the Double Concerto, where Meyers makes the most of her two violins, the "Molitor" of 1697 (the violin I part) and the "Royal Spanish" of 1730. The latter has a slightly rougher tone that Meyers deploys very effectively in its lower register. Though it's not everyone's cup of tea, this recording has met with well-deserved commercial success.

Tracklist:

01 - Air’ from Orchestral Suite No.3 in D major BWV 1068
02 - Violin Concerto No.1 in A minor BWV 1041: I Allegro moderato
03 - Violin Concerto No.1 in A minor BWV 1041: II Andante
04 - Violin Concerto No.1 in A minor BWV 1041: III Allegro assai
05 - Violin Concerto No.2 in E major BWV 1042: I Allegro
06 - Violin Concerto No.2 in E major BWV 1042: II Adagio
07 - Violin Concerto No.2 in E major BWV 1042: III Allegro assai
08 - Largo’ from Concerto for Harpsichord in F minor BWV 1056
09 - Concerto for Two Violins, Strings and Continuo in D minor BWV 1043: I Vivace
10 - Concerto for Two Violins, Strings and Continuo in D minor BWV 1043: II Largo ma non troppo
11 - Concerto for Two Violins, Strings and Continuo in D minor BWV 1043: III Allegro
12 - Ave Maria

Musicians:
Anne Akiko Meyers - violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Steven Mercurio - conductor


Thanks to the Original customer!