After being so impressed by Paula Robison’s recording of Handel’s flute sonatas (type Q8065 in Search Reviews), I couldn’t wait to report on her Bach. It’s good, though unfortunately her performances miss the consistent level of inspiration that made her Handel cycle such a success. For example, the abundant and adventurous use of ornamentation Robison and harpsichordist Kenneth Cooper displayed in their Handel is much less evident here. And although the frequent risks Robison took that made her Handel so enthralling likewise enhance her Bach, some of her decisions here seem at odds with the fluency and shape of certain pieces. For instance, her inordinately slow treatment of the central Largo e Dolce movement of the sonata in B minor creates an occasional uneasy ensemble waywardness. In contrast, Robison’s uncharacteristically brisk (3:14 compared to Bruggen’s 4:38!) performance of the first-movement Allemande of the Partita in A minor for solo flute robs the piece of its inherent mystery and intimacy.
Artemis Classics achieves generally respectable transfers of Vanguard’s mid-1970s sonics. However, unlike the Handel program recorded three years later, Robison’s flute here remains prominently front and center while cellist Timothy Eddy often is barely audible. Cooper’s informative and entertaining notes feature many fascinating anecdotes and have been reprinted in their entirety.
