J.S. Bach: Suites 1-6 for Unaccompanied Cello

[J.A.W.]

** EVERYTHING IS WRONG WITH STARKER ** tone, rhythm, articulation, the works! the guy had zero clue when he started and had no better ideas three dreary recordings later. just because it was well-marketed in an era of few choices doesn't mean it's worth hearing today.

I hope the 'audophiles' who have the 'cherished' SACD of the Living Presence recording at least put on the proper 'interconnects'; ridiculous that some alleged 'golden ears' don't realize the importance of having the proper interconnects for particular types of music: chamber, orchestral, keyboard, vocal etc.

There are no youtube clips but Amazon has samples of the superb & superbly individual Bruno Cocset set--

http://www.amazon.com/Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Suites-Violoncello/dp/B00006L7TD

Whatever Brian. Your opinion is duly noted. I can't share it.

It's years ago that I heard Starker's interpretation and I can't say I liked it, though I think it's fair to add that I don't like "romantic" interpretations of baroque music at all.

[mandrill]

** EVERYTHING IS WRONG WITH STARKER ** tone, rhythm, articulation, the works! the guy had zero clue when he started and had no better ideas three dreary recordings later. just because it was well-marketed in an era of few choices doesn't mean it's worth hearing today.

I hope the 'audophiles' who have the 'cherished' SACD of the Living Presence recording at least put on the proper 'interconnects'; ridiculous that some alleged 'golden ears' don't realize the importance of having the proper interconnects for particular types of music: chamber, orchestral, keyboard, vocal etc.

There are no youtube clips but Amazon has samples of the superb & superbly individual Bruno Cocset set--

http://www.amazon.com/Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Suites-Violoncello/dp/B00006L7TD

Moms, have you heard Antonio Janigro recording of the suites?

This year it was finally re-issued on CD, so hopefully more folks will hear this thoughtful and highly individual interpretation.

[David Ayers]

There are no youtube clips but Amazon has samples of the superb & superbly individual Bruno Cocset set--

All on Spotify

Along with the whole of Blandine Rannou, two Starkers, etc, etc.

Takes the guesswork out of it and a little better than amazon clips. Come and join the modern world.

[MomsMobley]

there are handfuls of 'romantic' Bach and baroque performances that bring their own important musicality, interpretation to the table but a bum like Starker is absolutely NOT one of them; the Mercury cult and all attendant hype/advertising led to the vomitous RCA Starker which-- hah hah funny-- approximately three erstwhile Starker "fans" ever cite despite its purported "maturity," "sublimity," "purity" of utterance etc. There's about 1000x more music AND sound AND life AND laughter, sex, coffee, beer etc in Bach than Starker (or Paul Casals, or Edwin Fischer or, later, the vile Roslyn Tureck etc) could ever imagine.

That said, Mengelberg's St Matthew is worth hearing once, likewise the Bm mass conducted by Enesco-- himself a brilliant composer, of course. Karl Richter's Bach passions and cantatas, though well-intentioned, are mostly dreck and Klemperer's-- wow. Let's just say if you like his "Fidelio" and "Flying Dutchman," his Bach is something ELSE indeed.

J.A.W., do you know the Olivier Beaumont F. Couperin box on Erato? Very very nice, excellent bargain too--

http://www.amazon.com/Couperin-Complete-Harpsichord-Olivier-Baumont/dp/B000OCZ7WK/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgABGsVZH24

I used to have Rousset back in mid-90s when I went all early music but I don't think it's worth worrying about or looking for until Harmonia Mundi re-issues it.

Edited August 9, 2012 by MomsMobley

[J.A.W.]

J.A.W., do you know the Olivier Beaumont F. Couperin box on Erato? Very very nice, excellent bargain too--

http://www.amazon.com/Couperin-Complete-Harpsichord-Olivier-Baumont/dp/B000OCZ7WK/

No, don't know that one, and 10 discs of F. Couperin is a bit much for me. How's this Blandine Verlet F. Couperin 2CD-set:

Amazon (it's much cheaper in Europe)

Edited August 12, 2012 by J.A.W.

[mikeweil]

I have plenty of single Couperin discs I could recommend, but these should have their own thread.

[J.A.W.]

I have plenty of single Couperin discs I could recommend, but these should have their own thread.

I think François Couperin recommendations can be posted in my Baroque solo pieces thread.

Edited August 12, 2012 by J.A.W.

[Late]

Fans of Ophélie Gaillard's edition of the Suites should check out Pieter Wispelwey's third recording (2012) of the complete Suites. I have to say, I think it's very, very good; so far, I like it better than Gaillard's. Idiosyncratic at times, yes, but musical above all.

Sound samples at Amazon. If Gaillard is "virile," this edition of the Wispelwey is carnal. Something like that.

[paul secor]

I've had his second recording for a number of years. Guess it's time to move on to his third.

[Late]

And for fans of the Casals recording (I'm one), this edition is the one you want. Brilliantly remastered from 78's.

[soulpope]

And for fans of the Casals recording (I'm one), this edition is the one you want. Brilliantly remastered from 78's.

[Stefan Wood]

And for fans of the Casals recording (I'm one), this edition is the one you want. Brilliantly remastered from 78's.

Yes indeed!

[Late]

This one won't be to everybody's taste, but I'm really enjoying it. Perfect tonic for Wispelwey's latest effort.


 

Documentary on Segev and the Suites.

Edited April 24, 2017 by Late

[six string]

Even though I started listening to classical music as a young adult I still consider myself a newbie when it co es to the genre.  Having said that, this is one of my favorite pieces of music of any kind.  I have not bought multiple copies of the same work except for a few cases.  I'm still learning!  This is one of those pieces of music that you remember where you were when you first heard it.  It was the Yo Yo Ma version, the first I believe.  I couldn't believe the beauty that was coming out of the speakers of my friend's stereo.  It was years later that I found a copy of Pablo Casals set on Angel and I liked it even more.  I recently bought the Janos Starker Mercury Presence version and really like it.  His pacing on the first suite is just right imo.  That fast version that Moms posted was horrid imo.  What's the hurry here?  I could never own that set because I'd constantly flick past that first one and maybe more if there are others like it in the set.  I couldn't even get a minute into it that video.  I've heard good things on the Fournier recordings.  I loved that version of the sixth suite by Opheille Gaillard.  I've heard the name but nothing more.  That might be my next purchase.

[six string]

Since the last post I have acquired a few more versions.  I'm playing a Mstislav Rostropovich version now that I am enjoying.  So far I've only heard one misician take the first suite at a slow pace.  Most people play it moderate to fast.  I hear a lot of wood on this recording too, something I like about the Casals' version. 

 

I also received a copy of one by Pierre Fournier, someone I'm not familiar with so looking forward to diving into it.

[Teasing the Korean]

Does anyone know if they ever corrected the mastering problem with the Starker Mercury Living Presence CDs?  For a while, the LPs were selling for insane amounts of money on eBay, because there was something wrong with the CDs. 

[paul secor]

Speakers Corner has issued these recordings as a 3 LP set. I don't know whether any mastering problem was corrected on these LPs.

[Late]

I finally heard Janigro's version of the Suites (rec. 1954). Excellent sound for the period, and Doremi's production values are top-notch, as always. eMusic currently offers it for $16.99. The set is three discs: (1) Suites, (2) Suites, (3) 3 Sonatas + Bach Concerto + Boccherini Concerto. The latter is a live recording in rough sound, but all the Bach recordings are recommendable.

[Late]

On 6/19/2015 at 8:25 PM, Late said:

And for fans of the Casals recording (I'm one), this edition is the one you want. Brilliantly remastered from 78's.

This particular edition is apparently hard-to-find these days. Currently, here's a good deal. Sealed, too.

[Late]

Since first posting in this thread (now almost 15 years ago!), I've collected a fair amount of Cello Suites recordings. To start, fans of the suites will want to be familiar with this resource, a listing of (known, but not all) recordings of the cello suites in chronological order. It provides a good timeline and overview of recordings of the suites.

I must thank member "mandrill" from Raleigh, NC for posting here about the Antonio Janigro recording! It has since become my favorite edition. (Though I always leave out the Casals in any "favorite" list. His recording stands alone.) South Korea Universal put out a 2-disc set of the Janigro recording (with original cover art) that is better-sounding than the set on Doremi, for those who are interested. To me, it sounds like the engineers in South Korea had access to different tapes than the engineers for Doremi. There's nothing wrong with the Doremi set, but if you're interested in a tighter mono, the South Korea set is often on eBay.

For fans of Bylsma and Wispelwey, you need to hear LUCIA SWARTS. All period, and, for the most part, she takes them slow. Bigger sound than Bylsma, more profound (in my opinion) than Wispelwey. There's also a mini-documentary on YouTube about her recording.

For fans of Ophelie Gaillard's second recording (which I actually sold off), I'd recommend checking out Inbal Segev and Nina Kotova. Segev is refined and polite while Kotova's version is wild, with a pleasing woody sound.

For fans of Fournier and Tortelier (I love both editions), check out Istvan Vardai. While not as aristocratic as either Fournier or Tortelier, Vardai has flawless intonation and an excellent sense of the suites' overall architecture. Starker, Rostropovich, and DuPré (I can't get into any of these cellists performing Bach) Vardai is not. (The Vardai disc to find is his all-Tchaikovsky program on Brilliant Classics.)

Andre Navarra and Esther Nyffenegger (Navarra's student) both recorded excellent versions of the suites. The Navarra is hard-to-find. A note on Nyffenegger — she was a contemporary of Jacqueline DuPré, and (she's still alive) was denied much of the spotlight that was granted DuPré. Esther Nyffenegger recorded what I consider the reference recording for Beethoven's Cello Sonatas. In my opinion, no other familiar gold standard (Fournier, even Rostropovich) for those sonatas comes close. Big claim, but check her recording ("Cello Jewels" on Divox) out!

The wackiest version I've ever heard of the suites is by Jean-Max Clement, recorded in 1958. Clement lets himself take a fair amount of improvisatory license with the ends of phrases, which will either intrigue fans or drive them off. His recording makes you want to listen with the score in hand (something I actually haven't done yet).

Recordings of the suites I own, but still am not familiar with: Gaspar Cassado (on Vox), Andre Levy, and Henri Honegger (the latter two both "historical" recordings).

Who I would stay away from? Enrico Mainardi. (Just listen to sound samples online. I'm sure he has his fans, but I'm not one.) And an artist who recorded the suites, but whose edition has (to my knowledge) never made it to the digital domain and that I really want to hear? Sasa Vectomov. I believe he's Czech, and recorded them in the 80's for Supraphon. YouTube has some enchanting samples of his playing.

 

[Larry Kart]

Gaillard (2) fan here. Do you know Lillian Fuchs' recording on viola?

[Teasing the Korean]

 A friend of mine made an absurd amount of money when he sold the Starker Mercury Living Presence set on the InterBays.

[Д.Д.]

On 12/31/2019 at 9:51 PM, Larry Kart said:

Gaillard (2) fan here. Do you know Lillian Fuchs' recording on viola?

Me too. I did not like it in the beginning, but grew to like it. It is now my go-to version. I heard a couple viola versions that I liked - a very light one by Gérard Caussé (https://open.spotify.com/album/0s9lOPriCKiHLvdmrwdpD8), and one with more gravitas by Patricia McCarty (https://open.spotify.com/album/6IIrFM4G7ULXcHzWsRFMHS). I heard the Fuchs version (once) and thought it was quite staid and devoid of joy.  

Edited January 4, 2020 by Д.Д.

[Д.Д.]

And there is are a couple versions on viola da spalla (shoulder cello) that are worth hearing - by Badiarov ( https://open.spotify.com/album/4v2K0kbhi3G2m3UqJ90utx ) and by Kuijken (https://open.spotify.com/album/45Lh2Ah0GsBaghbXCqZCIe). On this instrument it is more of a dance-able music.     

[mikeweil]

I had the opportunity to hear several of the suites performed by cello students close to their exams a few weeks ago. Each had a different style thougj all played to the current state of the art of historically informed performance practice. But any of them played more inspired and clear than Jean Guihen Queyras on a modern cello whom I heard two years ago.