A style of playing unusual for those raised on authentic practices. Extraordinary passion and timbre bowed out from a searing modern violin. Unforgettable once you’ve heard her have a go at this score. It’s all there in the Bach, this is not new jam spread on old toast. But I guarantee he never heard such a thing!

I was about to purchase a Japanese remastered copy of the Johanna Martzy Bach Violin Sonatas & Partitas two weeks ago, but that copy was unfortunately out of print. I was then googling for recommendations of it and found this great transfer.

Thank you HDTT for releasing this well-loved recording in a fine transfer at an affordable price. These performances have been available on a number of carriers over the years, often at very high prices. As would be expected from recordings made in 1954-55, the recording is mono, but excellent mono nonetheless, which captures the violin sound very effectively, and the perspective in which it was recorded. It confirms my belief that good recordings are as much about the ear of the recording team as they are about the technology used. In this case the engineers were remarkably successful to begin with. Johanna Martzy’s playing is very precise, and largely objective in style, but she maintains an amazingly high level of concentration and involvement in the music over its duration. There are passages of wonderful legato style. These works are much recorded these days, but there should always be room in anyone’s collection for this set.

Much more vivid & life-like sound quality than the former CD versions!

Beautiful music in an interesting performance. I liked it completely.