J.S. Bach in Bloomington, MN

Violinist
Nemanja Radulovi¿
has mostly performed virtuoso repertory that's in keeping with his long-haired, leather-pantsed image. But he plainly has an affection for the music of
Bach
, which he's been playing for a long time, and to which he has already devoted one full-length album,
, from 2016. That album featured high-octane arrangements of the likes of the
Toccata and fugue in D minor for organ, BWV 565
. But on this 2024 release, backed by his rather Baroque ensemble
Double Sens
, he tones things down a bit, and in so doing he creates an unusual hybrid of historical-performance-oriented
and his usual flair.
J.S. Bach
is in some ways a conventional
recital, with a pair of violin concertos and the
Concerto for violin and oboe, BWV 1060
; the sound is violin heavy and light on the harpsichord, with an expressive treatment of
's melodic lines but nothing radical. He adds a bit of vibrato that's unusual in a Baroque performance, but he never overdoes anything, and his balance with oboist
Sébastien Giot
in the
BWV 1060
concerto is clean. A deeper remaking of
's music by
Radulovi¿
comes in the interludes, arranged from works by
in other media; here he introduces a freer spirit. These include the Prelude from the
Suite No. 1 for solo cello, BWV 1007
, on which
plays viola.
also offers a guest-star turn from countertenor
Philippe Jaroussky
, who knows a thing or two about being a virtuoso star, on the aria "Erbarme dich," from the
St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244
, and he concludes with a blistering Badinerie from the
Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067
. Will this album satisfy both
fans and historically oriented
listeners? Dissatisfy both? That remains to be seen, but on balance, it's good to see
continuing to refine the ideas in his music-making. ~ James Manheim