Aparte 2013

I’m always on the look-out for new musicians. Noally fit the bill, and his 2013 recording, made within a very live acoustic, features works for solo violin from Vilsmayr, Telemann, von Westhoff, Baltzar, Bach, and Biber.

While today the Bach Sonatas and Partitas are probably the easiest example of the historical rise to solo violin repertoire (perhaps followed by Paganini), this recording pulls together multiple examples of solo repertoire. The juxtoposition of both Biber and von Westhoff are apropos for introducing Bach.

This release works well as a recital; it takes pieces from other collections. These albums are always problematic if you collect full collections (say, the Telemann solo fantasias, or the Bach Sonatas and Partitas.

Noally has a nice tone and good intonation. Probably the best test is the fifth movement of the Bach Partita, BWV 1004. It’s not a bad rendition, however it’s not my favorite.

The very wet acoustic of this recording is taxing on the ears—making headphone listening less comfortable. If this music was performed in a church, let’s say, it’s as if I’m around a corner hearing him play only by reflection. Instead, I’d like to be closer to the performer. The 8-movement Vilsmayr piece and the two by Baltzar were new to my ears. Putting the Biber Passacaglia after the Bach Chaconne, for me, didn’t work, programmatically. It might work in this position as a concert encore.

This was a nice introduction to a baroque violinist. Next time I’d like to see a focus around a particular collection and a more listener-friendly focus on the sound quality with less reverb.