Bach/Thoene: Partita in D minor; Fauré: Requim

German scholar Helga Thoene believes that chorale connections permeate Bach's solo violin music, and that the sections of the famous Chaconne from the Partita in D minor are elaborations on hidden chorale melodies. Here, chorales are sung between movements of the Partita, and the "unwritten" chorales of the Chaconne are sung in tandem with the violin part Bach actually wrote. Not only that, the music segues straight into Fauré's Requiem, which is in the same key. It's a fascinating idea, but the choir and violin combination remains less than persuasive. The Fauré, heard in the now popular orchestration of 1893, is atmospherically done and has real expressive traction. See url.ie/4u5f