Janine Jansen Plays Bach

Bach's Inventions for keyboard (both the 2-part, and the 3-part, so-called Sinfonias) are rich little pieces of music. Too bad they are so short, but so fun each one is, written in a variety of keys. A sort of predecessor, if you will, to Bach's giant preludes and fugues (WTC). The inventions are significant because they are contrapuntal in nature, light fugues, if you will. But the writing and themes are so well-done, that experimentation with them is par for the course for many performers. While I love my recording of these works by Suzuki on harpsichord, this new album by Janine Jansen and friends is the more adventurous type of recording, doing these on stringed instruments. It takes good players to render each single line in tune and in balance with the other performers. For the 2-parts, we get violin and cello; for the 3, violin, cello, and viola. I particularly enjoyed several movements that were more eclectic (especially spooky slow, or fast), and I realized I could listen to these by at least 3 more ensembles with their own interpretations. The music is so good it can take different takes, just as we might have 3-5 recordings on keyboard by different virtuosi. She includes one of the solo partitas for violin (the big one, with the chaconne), and while it is well done (great tone), I would have preferred some more of Bach's transcriptions with her two colleagues. Not a must have, but if you adore these works and like an "authentic approach"-influenced sound world, this one is for you.