Keen, sharp, and focused,
Jacqueline Ross' first volume of Bach's sonatas and partitas for solo violin is an instant winner in the "Great Sonatas and Partitas Recordings Sweepstakes." Every violinist, especially every period instrument violinist, has to take on Bach's supreme masterpieces for the instrument sooner or later, and while not every violinist has what it takes to succeed, young English violinist
Ross has it all. As she shows in the sonatas in G minor and A minor and the Partita in B minor, her tone is straight on, her intonation is dead on, and her control is right on. She floats through the dances of the Partita, plumbs down to the depths of the G minor Sonata's "Siciliana," and climbs up to the heights of the A minor's Fugue. Whether in the long run her performances prove to be on the same level as
Heifetz's,
Milstein's,
Szeryng's,
Grumiaux's, or Kuijken's remains to be seen. But at first blush, one has to acknowledge
Ross' mastery of her instrument and of the music. Preserved in Gaudeamus' crisp and clear, but warm and round sound, this disc deserves to be heard by anyone who loves Bach's sonatas and partitas.