# Music by Genre > Orchestral, Classical, Italian, Medieval, Renaissance >  New Chris Thile Bach record

## John Duncan

From Chris Thile's twitter:

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Booie, 

JEStanek, 

John Goodin, 

Steve-o

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## Ken_P

He had to record them in order, just to make us wait for the d minor  :Smile:

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## Traveling Tracks

Saw the disc image on facebook yesterday......yes, amazing, can't wait for the release....totally going to Carnegie Hall when he plays this in the fall. Tickets are not yet on sale.  As cool as it is going to be to have the "definitive" collection of Bach S&P's on mandolin (with a "real" recording as opposed to the rough youtube videos we've been living on  for years)....think about this....think about how absolutely stunning and unearthly Chris's playing already was....now think about the time he has spent and will spend with these masterpieces. It's bound to change him.  These pieces are some of the greatest works in western classical music...written by who, IMHO, is the greatest Christian Church composer in history: J.S. Bach.  It's essentially a guarantee that Chris's playing will achieve even more unbelievable heights as he goes through this experience...musically and I believe, spiritually. 
Again.....can't wait....till then I'm listening to Christian Tetzlaff do them as inspiration for my own study and performance of these pieces.

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## JeffD

I will get the CD, how can I not. 

There is a lot of great Bach on the mandolin. (A lot a lot.) My favorite right now is Avi Avital. If you like Bach and you like mandolin (duh!) you might want to check him out.

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## Traveling Tracks

Avi Avital - Bach...got it. Really enjoyed seeing him live and meeting him last year in Philly. His ensemble was amazing. I actually went to college at Hartt with his percussionist Shane Shanahan.....Shane also plays with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble...one of the best.

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## JeffD

> Avi Avital - Bach...got it. Really enjoyed seeing him live and meeting him last year in Philly.


Wow. Would have loved to be there.

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## JeffD

But yea, I will have to get Thile's CD. It will be good I have no doubt.

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## Traveling Tracks

Hey Jeff D, 
Have you ever thought that the mandolin on the Avi - Bach disc could be louder in the mix. 
Sometimes I wish I could just turn up the mando.....but I'm an audio engineer by profession so it comes with the territory. 
I do know that the guy who recorded it...Andreas....is fantastic...one of the best in the world. He records the San Francisco Symphony albums which are amazing....but again....I just wish I could turn up the mando on that disc.

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## Traveling Tracks

I know I already posted this somewhere...but while we're talking Avi.....he is scheduled to play Carnegie Hall.....I can't really remember now offhand, but I'm going to guess and say January of 2014. If you search on CH website you'll probably find it.

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## matthew71

I am a huge fan of the Avi Avital Bach album. A masterpiece. In fact, I almost gave up buying the Mandolin Magazine because of their review of this album. Although the review was generally positive, the review finished with the statement that there was not much in the album that the bluegrass mandolinist would find of interest. This statement struck me as somewhat absurd. I can't imagine reading a review of a bluegrass album that would finish with the statement that there was not much in the album that a classical musician would find of interest. Chalk and cheese. 

Sorry for the rant.

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Beanzy, 

Eugene, 

Larry S Sherman

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## tablaninja

> Hey Jeff D, 
> Have you ever thought that the mandolin on the Avi - Bach disc could be louder in the mix. 
> Sometimes I wish I could just turn up the mando.....but I'm an audio engineer by profession so it comes with the territory. 
> I do know that the guy who recorded it...Andreas....is fantastic...one of the best in the world. He records the San Francisco Symphony albums which are amazing....but again....I just wish I could turn up the mando on that disc.


Yes!!! I'm also am audio engineer and totally agree. Excellent album though.

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## PJ Doland

Ditto on the mandolin volume levels for the Avital recording.

I would repurchase it again if it was mixed with them cranked up a bit more.

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## Eugene

I suspect those discussing here are familiar, but the point of such recordings is ordinarily to capture an acoustic sound as purely as possible, to realistically portray the experience of hearing the ensemble live and literally unplugged.  Personally, I like it when the soloist blends into ensemble in tutti sections (i.e., when the full ensemble is playing melody material and there isn't necessarily a standout role for soloist).  The trick is often convincing bowed strings to play in such a way to not bury plucked soloists on relatively rare occasions when ensemble and soloist coincide in tutti.  That said, there is occasion in the concertos on Avital's recording that I feel the strings could have backed off a bit, but those occasions are rare and I generally like the balance achieved by the recording and engineering.  Personally, I think the sonata is nicely balanced among parts with each stepping forward or falling back as appropriate.

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## Jim Dalton

I don't really have any complaints about the balance in Avital's Bach recording.

Here is my review from The Art's Fuse from last year.

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## JeffD

> Hey Jeff D, 
> Have you ever thought that the mandolin on the Avi - Bach disc could be louder in the mix.


In that mix yea, except by comparison to the orchestra the mandolin is a quieter more delicate instrument. It just is. Just as is the harpsichord whose part the mandolin takes.

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## Eugene

> I don't really have any complaints about the balance in Avital's Bach recording.
> 
> Here is my review from The Art's Fuse from last year.


A very fine review, Jim.  Makes me want to go back and listen yet once more.

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## Larry S Sherman

> ...the review finished with the statement that there was not much in the album that the bluegrass mandolinist would find of interest. This statement struck me as somewhat absurd. I can't imagine reading a review of a bluegrass album that would finish with the statement that there was not much in the album that a classical musician would find of interest.


I had exactly the same reaction. Why _should_ Avi's Bach album appeal to bluegrass fans? 

It might be more appropriate to wonder if Thile's CD will appeal to fans of traditionally played concert music, but I don't really care who likes it. I am personally moved by Chris' playing, and look forward to listening to this one when it arrives.

Larry

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## David Lewis

> I had exactly the same reaction. Why should Avi's Bach album appeal to bluegrass fans?
> 
> It might be more appropriate to wonder if Thile's CD will appeal to fans of traditionally played concert music, but I don't really care who likes it. I am personally moved by Chris' playing, and look forward to listening to this one when it arrives.
> 
> Larry



A ggod album will be a good album. If Slayer wanted to do a collection of John dowland tunes, then let it be judged on its merits. In that wonderful video of Sam bush and del mccoury singing 'old bill' Del sings about Sam : the grass [Sam] sings isn't always blue/ doesn't bother me, shouldnt bother you...'

We know Chris will do a marvellous job. If other fans miss out because they're snobs, it's their loss, not ours. Or his.

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Larry S Sherman

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## PJ Doland

> A ggod album will be a good album. If Slayer wanted to do a collection of John dowland tunes, then let it be judged on its merits.


You should have picked the more obvious "if *Sting* wanted to do a collection of John Dowland tunes, then let it be judged on its merits."

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David Lewis

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## David Lewis

> You should have picked the more obvious "if Sting wanted to do a collection of John Dowland tunes, then let it be judged on its merits."


I deleted sting and put slayer  :Smile:

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## Eugene

I did pick up my copy a month or two ago.  The musicianship, interpretation, phrasing . . . all excellent and quite satisfying, even for a cantankerous, old, classical-traditionalist goober like me.  I love his concept of striving to present the doubles of the first partita as contiguous movements to the coupled dance of each.  He does it very well, making some seem heart-achingly slow (the Allemanda's), but others fly along at superhuman pace (the Corrente's).

However, I have to admit that the sound of the thick, blunt plectrum rubbing on strings is obvious to me, sometimes to the point that I'm a little distracted and need to put effort into refocusing on the fine music beneath.  That issue isn't so obvious when I hear Thile in his _other_, accompanied bluegrass-inspired/new-acoustic, context.

In any event, I'm going to hear him in solo performance in Columbus, OH this very evening.  Anybody else in attendance, feel free to offer your "howdy" and seek a social pint with me to follow.

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JEStanek

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