Bach 'n' Blues

Album review

Bach 'n' Blues, an Oehms Classics album featuring young violinist Iskandar Widjaja, is a representation of Widjaja's respect for both classical traditions as well the impact of pop musical culture. To that end, Widjaja juxtaposes the Chaconne from J.S. Bach's D minor Partita and Biber's Passacaglia for solo violin (representing tradition) alongside Poulenc's simultaneously savage and delicate Violin Sonata and Ravel's groundbreaking Violin Sonata whose second movement incorporates the blues. Whether or not these latter two works are still representative of the innovative "pop" of classical music is questionable, but the combination with Biber and Bach does indeed provide listeners with some interesting and welcome contrasts. Widjaja's playing is fiery and vigorous, hallmarks of youthful intensity. Sometimes this passion gets the better of Widjaja and crosses the line into recklessness and brashness. This works fairly well in the outer movements of Poulenc and the Perpetuum mobile of the Ravel, although Widjaja sometimes leaves his pianist, Anastassiya Dranchuk, in the dust. What's lacking in his playing at this point is simplicity and delicacy, and most of all the ability to play a line just as it is without the need to greatly alter its rhythm or tempo. The Bach is excessively muscular and forceful where intimacy and spaciousness would be preferred. Widjaja is certainly a talented artist who, with some time and maturation, could certainly be one to watch. In this album, however, he's not quite there.
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