Bach's six sonatas for violin and keyboard, written at the Cöthen court where the composer was responsible for instrumental music, are sometimes cited as historical firsts -- as the first violin-and-keyboard sonatas to cast the two instruments in equal roles. The designation is a little misleading, for the works had few real successors; it took more than 50 years before violin and keyboard once again took the stage as equals. Their equality in this set is not really a stylistic innovation but rather the result of
Bach's tendency to think exhaustively in terms of the potentialities of his instruments. Be that as it may, one must approach a recording of the set with ears open to the contributions of both instrumentalists and how they work together. In this respect the team of harpsichordist
Christophe Rousset and violinist
Stefano Montanari (who has worked in the past with two of the top historical-instrument ensembles in Europe, the Accademia Bizantina of
Ottavio Dantone and
Rousset's own
Les Talens Lyriques) succeed exceptionally well.
Montanari on his own does not go in for the sharp, dramatic approach of
Dantone; his style is fetching and light, with very elegant execution of ornamentation. He makes an ideal foil for the regular, muscular style of
Rousset, reminiscent here of that of one of his teachers,
Bob van Asperen. Sample the opening Adagio of the Violin Sonata No. 3 in E major, BWV 1016 (track 9) for an idea of the meeting of musical minds that is accomplished here as
Montanari executes agile, slightly daring leaps around
Rousset's driving chords. The balance between the two instruments, including passages where not only the harpsichord's right hand but also the left-hand bass enters the polyphonic conversation, is exquisitely controlled throughout. This will be greeted by historical-performance lovers as a major new release, and the fact that the final page of the booklet is given over to an advertisement from one of the recording's funders should not bother anybody -- in fact, other companies should seek to follow the example laid down by Atria Capital Partners.