JS Bach/Johan Ullén Violin Concertos Christian Svarfvar (violin); London Philharmonic Orchestra/Johan Ullén Rubicon RCD 1053 56:32 mins
Max Richter’s re-compositions of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons inspired violinist Christian Svarfvar to ask Johan Ullén for similar reworkings of Bach. The result falls between two stools: when Bach’s harmonic structure is preserved, the music has direction and purpose; otherwise it can fall into note-spinning.
The E major Concerto’s first movement begins not at the beginning but with material from later on – which then doesn’t go anywhere. When we do get a sizeable chunk of pretty much unmediated Bach, it comes as a breath of fresh air. The slow movement starts more promisingly, taking Bach’s pauses in the orchestral texture as a jumping-off point, but then becomes soupily romantic, with soaring violin lines – not always completely secure – and lush harmonies which become increasingly anonymous.
The tendency to build up dynamics in repeated phrases to reach a climax at the end of movements, or its opposite, the slow fade, are other fingerprints. Ullén mentions the influence of pop, minimalism and film music – all of which too often overpower Bach. Taking small cells of existing music to create something new has an honourable pedigree, but this is like fake Baroque background music for a film.
Martin Cotton
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