Bach: Complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin

Rachel Podgers complete recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin was made in 1997 and 1998 and was released in 1999 as her first solo album. Now this groundbreaking recording is being reissued. Even at her debut, the Irish Times recognized the extraordinary potential of the young violinist and wrote at the time: "Clearly, a violinist to watch out for" – a violinist to keep an eye on. Rachel Podger has long since confirmed this early recognition. In her engagement with these works, Podger aimed to "find the language of this music, understand its complexity, search for its meaning in every phrase ... and ultimately bring something clear and beautiful out of it". More than 300 years after their creation, Bach's Sonatas and Partitas continue to fascinate performers and listeners alike: a piece of wood, a few strings, a bow – and from this emerges an almost immeasurable world of expression. "Every note, every expression has its own place," says Podger. "Nothing ever seems overloaded or incomplete, nothing too intense. The music flows with a naturalness that addresses our intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs alike."