Chicago-based violinist Jennifer Koh is by no means the first musician to be fascinated by the influence of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music on later composers, but her nine-year recording project pairing the six sonatas and partitas with modern and contemporary solo violin works provides some interesting insights, as well as sensitive and first-class performances to treasure.

Jennifer Koh

The Back & Beyond project started in 2011 with her recording for the Chicago label Cedille of the Partitas Nos 3 and 2 book-ending a trio of works: Eugene Ysaye’s Sonata No 3 – inspired by both the sprightly opening of the third partita and the darker 13th-century Dies Irae– Kaija Saariaho’s Nocturneand Missy Mazzoli’s Dissolve, O My Heart. This was followed in 2014...