Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2 [2 LP], Chris Thile, Vinyl

For his second recording of Bach Violin Sonatas and

Partitas, twelve years after the first volume, the

award-winning mandolinist, Chris Thile (Punch

Brothers, Nickel Creek) opted for a different, more

personal approach to the revered master

composer’s works. This time, he allowed himself to

take liberties with the scores, which he recorded in

multiple, somewhat untraditional, locations of

personal significance: Reservoir Studios and

Tompkins Square Park in New York; Farrell Recital

Hall at Murray State University in Murray, KY; and

Blackberry Farm in Walland, TN. Rather than

worrying about whether Bach would like his record,

as he had for Vol. 1, Thile ensured that he liked it

himself, believing in the validity of his own personal

likes and dislikes, and seeking to find and convey

something unique in his interpretations of the well-

known pieces. In this and more, he succeeded:

Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2 sounds very

much like Chris Thile.