Standard repertoire doesn’t get any more “standard” than Bach’s concertos for violin in A minor and E major–and every violinist from minor to major has recorded them. Which means that there are about a zillion versions available, many of them first rate. Well, here’s another to add to the list, excellent performances in fine sound–sturdy, stylish, reliable, lustrous, with lively tempos and some nifty, well-integrated ornaments–all the components needed to confirm this as a worthy staple of any library. And for good measure, the program includes two concertos not usually presented as violin works but in their later incarnations as keyboard concertos. Both are in D minor–BWV 1052 and BWV 1060, the latter for two solo instruments, for which Zimmermann is joined here by his violinist son, Serge. It makes for an engaging program, something different from the usual pairing of the A minor and E major with the more familiar “Bach Double” (BWV 1043). Even after experiencing these works probably hundreds of times, hearing these performances is the musical equivalent to walking into a room and everything just feels right.
