Violinist Herwig Zack puts the spotlight on the unaccompanied four strings of his instrument, with J S Bach as the foundation, inspiring the 20th century composers Ben-Haim, Berio and Bloch.

Violinist Herwig Zack, who produced a compelling and imaginative solo recording with Essentials (AV2155), follows with an equally inspired recital that casts the spotlight on the “4 strings only” of his unaccompanied violin. With J S Bach providing the foundations on which arguably all solo violin repertoire was created, Zack places his Second Sonata at the heart of the program and surrounds it with four mid-20th century works which were indelibly inspired by the Baroque master.

The two Solo Suites by Ernest Bloch were among his last works, and find Bach’s personality lurking in the Swiss composer’s modern polyphony and harmony. Israeli composer Ben-Haim’s Solo Sonata blends neo-Classical elements with and Eastern Mediterranean exoticness, whilst Berio’s Sequenza VIII is an overt homage to Bach’s Solo Partita in D minor, specifically the celebrated chaconne.