Bach: The 6 Suites for Cello Solo, BWV 1007 – 1012

Media Review: Artist and Media Information, Comparison Summary

2023-10-05 — Original posting (covering Suite No.1 BWV 1007 only)
2023-10-26 — Added Pablo de Naverán’s 2021 recording (submitted by Claves Records)
2024-01-07 — Added Petr Skalka’s 2020 recording (submitted by Claves Records)
2024-02-09 — Added references to the comparison for the Suite No.2 BWV 1008
2024-07-20 — One addition to “Omissions” (Sigiswald Kuijken)
2024-07-29 — Added Lucile Boulanger’s recording on Viola da gamba (selected movements from BWV 1009 and BWV 1006 only)
2024-09-15 — Added references to the comparison for the Suite No.3 BWV 1009
2024-11-10 — Addendum on an alternate Web site reviewing recordings of the Bach Cello Suites, “bachcellosuites.co.uk”
2024-11-28 — Added provisions for Jean-Guihen Queyras’ second recording from 2023, added review of the associated ballet disk

Johann Sebastian Bach
Bach: Cello Suite No.1 BWV 1007, MS copy Anna Magdalena Bach (source: digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de; public domain, CC-BY 4.0)
Bach: 6 Cello Suites (BWV 1007 – 1012), MS copy Anna Magdalena Bach (source: digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de; public domain, CC-BY 4.0)
Bach: Cello Suite No.6 BWV 1012 MS copy Anna Magdalena Bach (source: digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de; public domain, CC-BY 4.0)

Contents

Introduction — Purpose and Outlook

This document is designed as an “overhead” page for a planned / upcoming series of (six) comparison posts. These cover the recordings of the 6 Suites for Cello Solo, BWV 1007 – 1012, by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750). Here is what you find on this page:

Near the bottom of this posting, I am describing how I arrived at the selection of recordings that I discuss in this series of reviews.

Limitations in the Choice of Recordings

As I have explained in a separate document, this blog is a one-man effort. And my capacity, i.e., the possible coverage, is obviously limited. Unavoidably, I will still receive comments such as “Why did you not include XYZ?”. Or even challenging: “How could you possibly not include XYZ in this comparison?”. Sadly, the list of recordings in this comparison is final. For reasons of time and resources it is unlikely (virtually impossible) for me to add additional recordings in the aftermath.

There are countless additional recordings of these works out there. I once checked the IDAGIO catalog and found a list of 415 (!!!) recordings / albums. Some of these are duplicates or partial recordings. However, it is inconceivable for a single human to review them all at the depth and detail of my blog. And new recordings keep getting added all the time. Even just keeping track of these is virtually impossible.

However, I concede that I violated the above policy, twice already. I had just published the first comparison in this series (BWV 1007). Then, Claves Records sent me a pre-release copy of Pablo de Naverán’s 2021 recording. I concluded that in this case, a “retroactive” addition was still doable without an exorbitant extra effort. Ironically, after I had done this extra addition, Claves Records sent me yet another pre-release CD set. This was Petr Skalka’s 2020 recording. And I allowed for yet another, last exception.

Why This Selection of Recordings?

My selection of recordings is not devoid of arbitrariness. Near the bottom of this post, I explain how I arrived at my choice of artists / recordings. I did make a one-time (limited and final) effort to find extra recordings that might be valuable / interesting contenders. Hereby, I tried avoiding recordings where I sensed I would likely dislike. Still, in the aftermath, there are recordings which I probably should have avoided—as well as regrettable omissions. Of course, I do have personal preferences in all this. One is in my affinity towards HIP recordings.

Review Posts for the Individual Cello Suites

My plan is, to compare the recordings in separate posts, one per suite. The following links will become active once the corresponding post is available.

The Recordings

The following, interactive table is meant to offer orientation in the main section, “Media & Artists”. For the actual, detailed comparison reviews see the links above.

Explanations on the Table

  • You can sort the table by any specific column (in ascending or descending order) by selecting the respective title field.
  • The first field is the year in which the respective recording was completed. Note: this isn’t necessarily identical to the ℗ or © years.
  • The birth year is not known for all artists.
  • The fields “Wiki” and “Web” are links to the respective artist’s Wikipedia entry and/or personal Website.
  • The yellow column “Media” contains links to the respective entry in the section Media & Artists below.
RecordingFirstNameLastNameBornDeathWikiWebInstrumentPitch HzMediaRemarks
2019EmmanuelleBertrand1973
Wiki
Cello by Carlo Tononi, Venice, Early 18th century; baroque bowa’ = 415Media
2020LucileBoulanger1986
WikiWeb7-string Viola da gamba by François Bodart, 2006, after Joachim Tielke, Hamburg, 1699a’ = 415MediaViola da gamba
1979AnnerBylsma19342019Wiki
Cello by Mattio Goffriller, Venice, 1669; Violoncello piccolo (South Tyrol, c.1700)a’ = 415Media
1992AnnerBylsma19342019Wiki
Cello “Servais” by Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1701; Violoncello piccolo (South Tyrol, c.1700)a’ = 432/415Media
1936-39PabloCasals18761973Wiki
Cello by Mattio Goffriller, Venice, 1700a’ = 440Media#2/3: 1936; #1/5: 1938
2014ThomasDemenga1954
WikiWebCello from the Testore-School, Milano, 18th century; Cello by Giuseppe Guarneria’ = 392Media
2016MarianneDumas1978

WebBaroque cello by Daniel J. König, Leipzig; 5-string baroque cello by Johannes Loescher, Köln; baroque bow by Hans Reiners, Berlina’ = 415Media
2013IsangEnders1988
WikiWebCello “Joseph Gagliano, filius fecit 1720”a’ = 440Media
1961PierreFournier19061986Wiki
Cello by Charles Adolphe Maucotel, 1849a’ = 440Media
2010OphélieGaillard1974
WikiWebCello by Francesco Goffriller, 1737a’ = 415Media
2005StevenIsserlis1958
WikiWebCello by Antonio Stradivari / Cello by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesú (BWV 1011)a’ = 440Media
2017KimKashkashian1952
WikiWebViola by Peter Greiner / 5-string viola by Francesco Bissolotti, Cremona, 1989a’ = 440MediaViola
2020BenedictKloeckner1989
WikiWebCello by Francesco Rugeri, Cremona, 1690a’ = 440Media
1996Jaap, ter Linden1947
WikiWebBaroque cello by Carlo Bergonzi, 1725 – 30; 5-string Violoncello piccolo by Antonius & Hieronymus Amati, c.1600a’ = 415Media
2018SergeyMalov1983
WikiWebVioloncello da spalla by Dmitry Badiarov; baroque bow by Luis Emilio Rodriguez Carringtona’ = 440MediaVioloncello da spalla
2021Pablo, deNaverán1975

WebCello by Carlo Antonio Testore, 1723a’ = 440Media
2000PaoloPandolfo1964
WikiWebViola da gamba by Nicolàs Bertrand, late 17th centurya’ = 415MediaViola da gamba
1998VitoPaternoster1957
WikiWebCello by Lorenzo Carcassi, Florence, 1792a’ = 440Media
2021BrunoPhilippe1993

WebCello by Carlo Tononi, Venice; gut strings, baroque bowa’ = 440Media
2007Jean-GuihenQueyras1967
WikiWebCello by Gioffredo Cappa, 1696a’ = 440Media
2023Jean-GuihenQueyras1967
WikiWebCello by Gioffredo Cappa, 1696a’ = 440Media
2020MyriamRignol1988
WikiWebViola da gambaa’ = 400MediaViola da gamba
1991MstislavRostropovich19272007Wiki
Cello “Duport” by Antonio Stradivari, 1711a’ = 440Media
2020PetrSkalka1974

WebCello by Giuseppe Guarneri “filius Andreae”, c.1700; 5-string cello, op.224 by Dalibor Bzirský, Prague, 2018a’ = 415
Media
2019JurisTeichmanis1966

WebCello anonymous, 18th centurya’ = 400Media
2013DavidWatkin1965

WebCello by Francesco Rugeri, Cremona, c.1670; 5-string cello by Antonio & Hieronymus Amati, Cremona, c.1600a’ = 415Media
1998PieterWispelwey1962
WikiWebCello by Barak Norman, 1710; anonymous violoncello piccolo, 18th centurya’ = 415Media
2012PieterWispelwey1962
WikiWebBaroque cello by Pieter Rombouts, 1710; anonymous violoncello piccolo, 18th century; baroque bow by Andreas Grütter, Amsterdama’ = 392Media

Instruments, Bows, Pitch

Where the instrument information is available, I have entered that into the above table. I have added the same to the CD information in the section below. I also include links and life data for the manufacturer, where available. Almost none of the artists (and/or CD booklets) specify whether the instrument was equipped with gut strings. However, one can safely assume that when “baroque cello” is specified, the artist performed on gut strings. The same of course appliers to recordings on viola da gamba. Along the same lines one can assume that baroque cellos were combined with a baroque (rather than Tourte type) bow.

Baroque Cellos

What’s the difference between baroque and modern instruments? To achieve a bigger tone for larger concert venues, most historic instruments have been altered. With this, string instruments have a longer and steeper neck, for bigger string tension. The instruments now also feature a longer fingerboard, to extend the tonal range at the upper end. This is associated with other modifications, such as a longer bass bar (glued onto the cover, below the C string). Unfortunately, with very rare exceptions, historic instruments by prominent luthiers (e.g., all Stradivari instruments) have all undergone “modernization”.

With that, “baroque cellos” are usually either by a minor manufacturer, or new creations based on historic models. Rarely, modernized instruments are “re-baroqued”. The most obvious differentiator from modern instruments is the absence of an endpin with baroque cellos (the instrument is resting on the artist’s lower legs). Note: I only mention “baroque cello” in cases where I have clear indications for it. The absence of this mention, however, does not automatically imply a modern or modernized instrument.

Instrument Requirements

Bach wrote the 6 Suites a Violoncello senza Basso for himself, in the years 1717 – 1723. He presumably did this for the purpose of getting acquainted with the instrument. At that time, he served as Kapellmeister in Köthen (Saxony-Anhalt). In that sense, one might call them studies—six studies with ascending technical (and musical) challenges. Suites I – III are straightforward, Suite IV (BWV 1010) is in the “uneasy key” of E♭ major. Suite V (C minor) requires tuning the top (a) string down to g (scordatura C – G – d – g in lieu of the standard C – G – d – a). This is not a technical challenge per se. However, it makes figuring out the fingering a little trickier.

Suite VI (D major, BWV 1012) is different. It is written specifically for a 5-string instrument, tuned to C – G – d – a – e’. The common assumption is that Bach referred to a violoncello piccolo (a smaller, cello-like instrument, typically with 5 strings). This may have been played vertically, like a regular cello, or possibly horizontally, in front of the artist’s chest (violoncello da spalla, or viola da spalla), maybe even on the shoulder, like a viola. Historically informed performances usually turn towards a violoncello piccolo. However, Bach did not include 5-string chords, hence that suite is also playable on a regular (baroque or modern/modernized) cello, using higher positions where needed. That’s what we typically find with traditional / conventional recordings. Note that not all artists have access to a 5-string violoncello piccolo.

Baroque Bows

So, baroque cellos are not exactly easy to come by. “Re-baroquing” marvelous instruments by the most famous luthiers (Goffriller, Stradivari, Guarneri, Guadagnini, etc.) is typically not an option. The owners usually refuse to take the risk of such “surgery”. With this, some artists resort to using a baroque bow on modern or modernized instruments. Such bows are typically new creations based on historic models. Ideally, this is combined with gut strings. A poor compromise? Not really. The biggest contributor to “baroque sound character” is not the instrument’s body (which controls projection and sound color, etc.). Rather, most of what makes a performance sound “baroque” is the articulation. For this, the interaction between the bow (its weight, length, and tension) and the string are crucial. Hence, using a baroque bow on a modern instrument makes sense.

As mentioned, most liner notes / CD booklets don’t state whether gut strings were used. However, several recordings refer to using a baroque bow. As with “baroque cello”, I only mention “gut strings” or “baroque bow”, where I have clear indications for it from the liner notes or from other sources. The absence of such mentions does neither exclude the use of a baroque bow (or gut strings), nor does it automatically imply a modern Tourte type bow.

Tuning Pitch

Most listeners don’t really care about the exact pitch. Possible exceptions are people with perfect or absolute pitch. There’s more to it, though. For one, the pitch controls the string tension. This affects the pressure the strings exert to the instrument’s body. And that again may cause a change in tone (color) and projection. For most listeners (except specialists), these effects are indeed secondary. Where most will notice differences in the pitch is when switching between recordings with a different tuning pitch. Such switching may cause a recording to sound “bad” (i.e., out-of-tune). It may take a while until one’s ear has adjusted to the new tuning pitch.

Throughout the 20th century, and still today, most artists perform on modern(ized) instruments, using a tuning pitch of a’ = 440 Hz. In this comparison, though, given the presence of quite a few historically informed recordings, there is an almost equal number of artists performing at a’ = 415 Hz. There are very few exceptions, see below1.

“Baroque” and Other Pitches

An important point is that the construction of baroque instruments typically assumes a tuning pitch of a’ = 415 Hz, i.e., half a tone below the modern tuning pitch. However, that was far from being a universal pitch standard at baroque times. A pitch setting of a’ = 392 Hz (a full tone below the modern “symphonic” standard) was also in use. Two artists use a’ = 400 Hz, which is a little less than a quarter tone above a’ = 392 Hz. Finally, one other artist uses a’ = 432 Hz. All these can be regarded baroque pitches.

In the table above, I list the tuning pitch for each of the recordings. In the media descriptions below and in the actual review postings, I just mention the tuning pitch where it is not the ordinary, modern setting of a’ = 440 Hz.

With very few exceptions, the pitch is not explicitly stated. However, I have in fact checked the (approximate) tuning pitch with all the artists.

Authenticity Issues

Bach’s original manuscript appears to be lost. However, there is a beautiful manuscript, now identified as being a copy that Bach’s second wife Anna Magdalena Bach (1701 – 1760) created around 1727 – 1731. The facsimile of Anna Magdalena’s copy can now be downloaded from IMSLP. The manuscript excerpts shown in this series of postings originate from that source.

In the case of the “Sei Solo“, the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001 – 1006, Bach’s autograph survived. There is also a manuscript copy by Anna Magdalena Bach. And the latter is accurate, a source almost as reliable as Bach’s original. Yet, as the former is missing in the case of the cello suites, there is a lot of speculation about the accuracy and authenticity of AMB’s manuscript of the cello suites. These speculations range from doubts about the accuracy of the manuscript (lacking or inconsequential slurs, etc.), on to questions whether her source was Bach’s original, or some unknown intermediate version. There are even claims that the real author of the suites is Anna Magdalena Bach, not her husband. See Wikipedia for details.

I don’t want to dwell on these speculations. However, from listening to the recordings in this comparison I feel that (compared to the “Sei Solo“) there is a tendency to be more “liberal” in questions of bowing, slurs, dynamics, etc.

Reception History

Bach’s cello suites were largely forgotten for many decades, probably already by the time Bach was working and living in Leipzig. They may have been regarded as a kind of studies, rather than pieces to be performed in concert. The German cellist Friedrich Grützmacher (1832 – 1903) was the first one to perform a cello suite in concert. He also edited and published the suites (Grützmacher also rearranged the suites by adding extra chords, passages, and embellishments).

It was the young Pablo Casals (1876 – 1973) who happened to come across a copy of Grützmacher’s edition in Barcelona, in 1889, aged just 13. Casals began to perform the suites, and this set the start to a widespread popularization and public reception of these compositions. For additional details see again Wikipedia, and quotes / sources therein.

Media & Artists

The entries below are sorted by recording year, from the earliest (1936 – 1939) to the most recent one (2021).

Notes on the Media Descriptions

All of the entries in the section below include:

  • The front picture of the CD sleeve or booklet,
  • The contents of the recording,
  • Artist and instrument
  • Catalog information, media type, release date (℗ and/or © years), booklet information
  • Media barcode (UPC-A or EAN-13), where available
  • A link to the amazon online shop (where available), for visitors to locate the recording.

In the associated, short text segment, I’m adding information such as

  • Information about the artist (for details on the artist’s biography see the “Wiki” and “Web” links in the table above).
  • Comments on instrument, style, possibly the artist’s position in the performance history of Bach’s Cello Suites.
  • General information on the given recording or artist, as appropriate (e.g., other recordings of these pieces by the given artist).
  • Additional, personal comments, not relating to the result of the comparison—initially, at least. I may add more text to this segment during the comparison, where I see a need.

Pablo Casals, 1936 – 1939

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Pablo Casals (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Pablo Casals, cello

EMI Classics 5 62611 2 (2 CDs, mono ADD); ℗ 1988/2003 / © 2003
Booklet: 16 pp. en/de/fr

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Pablo Casals (CD, UPC-A barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Pablo Casals (© Warner Classics)
Pablo Casals

Even though Pablo Casals (1876 – 1973) had been performing the suites in concert for many years, he was 60 when he ventured recording the suites (in three separate sessions between 1936 and 1939). His performances (and the recording) were instrumental in making these suites popular, even central to the entire cello repertoire. Without any doubt, Casals’ recording is a historic milestone for Bach’s cello suites—a “must have” for all cellists and people interested in these works.

I received two LPs with Casals playing Suites I & II and Suites V & VI as a gift from my parents, back around 1970. Suites III & IV were temporarily unavailable back then. Only in 1972 I completed that set by acquiring the box set (3 LPs) with all the Suites. Up till 1979, this was the only recording in my collection, and in the new Millennium, I purchased that same recording on CD.

Instrument, Recording Coordinates

Cello by Mattio Goffriller (1659 – 1742), Venice, 1700

Recording location & date: Abbey Road Studios, London, 1936 (Suites II, III); Paris, 1938-06 (Suites I, VI); Paris, 1939-06 (Suites IV, V)

Individual Reviews

Pierre Fournier, 1961

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Pierre Fournier, 1961 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Pierre Fournier, cello

Archiv Produktion / Polydor International 449 711-2 (2 CDs, stereo ADD); ℗ 1961
Booklet: 16 pp. en/de/fr

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Pierre Fournier, 1961 (CD, UPC-A barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Pierre Fournier
Pierre Fournier

When I think of Pierre Fournier (1906 – 1986), the term “Grandseigneur of the Cello” comes to mind. At least, that’s how I picture him from his appearance in the one and only encounter with this artist in Aarau, on 1972-04-25. He was not tall, but noble and soigné, and his playing fit his visual appearance. This was a duo recital with a local pianist (and conductor), Urs Voegelin (1927 – 1995). In that recital, the artists performed works by Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856), Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893), and Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (1882 – 1971).

I had come across a stenographic (1 – 2 words) description of his interpretation of the Bach Suites. However, I never delved into his interpretation / recordings. It’s only shortly before I started this comparison review (series) that I realized that I had mostly historically informed interpretations, or recent recordings by young artists. In order to “balance” my collection, I considered adding at least one more “classic” recording from the past century, beyond Casals and Rostropovich. I did a quick screening and selected Pierre Fournier—I found that his interpretation offered more than Rostropovich’s…

Instrument, Recording Coordinates

Cello by Charles Adolphe Maucotel (c.1820 – c.1858), Paris, 1849

Recording location & date: Beethovensaal, Hannover, Germany, 1960-12

Individual Reviews

Anner Bylsma, 1979

J.S. Bach, Suites I, II, III for Cello Solo — Anner Bylsma, 1979 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites I, II, III (BWV 1007 – 1009)

Anner Bylsma, cello

Sony / Essential Classics SBK 61811 (CD, stereo ADD); ℗ 1979 / © 1999
Booklet: 10 pp. en/de/fr

J.S. Bach, Suites I, II, III for Cello Solo — Anner Bylsma, 1979 (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5
J.S. Bach, Suites IV, V, VI for Cello Solo — Anner Bylsma, 1979 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites IV, V, VI (BWV 1010 – 1012)

Anner Bylsma, cello / violoncello piccolo

Sony / Essential Classics SBK 61812 (CD, stereo ADD); ℗ 1979 / © 1999
Booklet: 10 pp. en/de/fr

J.S. Bach, Suites IV, V, VI for Cello Solo — Anner Bylsma, 1979 (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Anner Bylsma
Anner Bylsma

In the mid- and late ’70s, artists such as Gustav Leonhardt (1928 – 2012), Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1929 – 2016) “switched my mind” towards historically informed performances (HIP). So, in 1979, seven years after I completed the Casals LP set in my collection, I added a second, boxed LP set featuring the first (1979) recording by Dutch cellist Anner Bylsma (1934 – 2019), one of the pioneers / “forefathers” in HIP performances. Soon after 2000, in a phase where I attempted recovering my LP recordings on CD, I complemented my LP box with the same recording on two CDs.

Instruments, Recording Coordinates

Cello by Mattio Goffriller (1659 – 1742), Venice, 1669, pitch: a’ = 415 Hz
Suite VI: 5-string violoncello piccolo (South Tyrol, c.1700), pitch: a’ = 415 Hz
Baroque bow

Recording location & date: Church Eching, Freising/Bavaria, Germany, 1979-04-23:26 (Suites I — III) and 1979-05-14:16 (Suites IV — VI)

Individual Reviews

Mstislav Rostropovich, 1991

J.S. Bach, Suites I, IV, V for Cello Solo — Mstislav Rostropovich, 1991 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites I, IV, V (BWV 1007, 1010, 1011)

Mstislav Rostropovich, cello

EMI Classics 5 55604 2 (CD, stereo DDD); ℗/© 1995
Booklet: 16 pp. English

J.S. Bach, Suites I, IV, V for Cello Solo — Mstislav Rostropovich, 1991 (CD, UPC-A barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5
J.S. Bach, Suites II, III, VI for Cello Solo — Mstislav Rostropovich, 1991 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites II, III, VI (BWV 1008, 1009, 1012)

Mstislav Rostropovich, cello

EMI Classics 5 55605 2 (CD, stereo DDD); ℗/© 1995
Booklet: 16 pp. English

J.S. Bach, Suites II, III, VI for Cello Solo — Mstislav Rostropovich, 1991 (CD, UPC-A barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

(Both Amazon links point to the same double CD with all six suites.)

Artist and Recording

Mstislav Rostropovich, 1959
Mstislav Rostropovich

In a first phase after switching from LPs to CDs, my focus was on exploring recordings that I did not already have on LP. For the most part, I was frequently browsing / screening a CD shop in Mountain View, California, while on business trips. Around 2000, I saw and acquired the recording by Mstislav Rostropovich (1927 – 2007). At that time, I felt that this is a “must have”. In retrospect, though…

Instrument, Recording Coordinates

Cello “Duport” by Antonio Stradivari (1644 – 1737), Cremona, 1711

Recording location & date: Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, Vézelay, Yonne, France, 1991-03

Individual Reviews

Anner Bylsma, 1992

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Anner Bylsma, 1992 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Anner Bylsma, cello

Sony Classical S2K 48047 (2 CDs, stereo DDD); ℗/© 1992
Booklet: 22 pp. en/de/fr/it

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Anner Bylsma, 1992 (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Anner Bylsma
Anner Bylsma

When I “recovered” the 1979 recording by Anner Bylsma (1934 – 2019) for my CD collection, I noted that in the same shelf there was also the newer, 1992 recording by the same artist, I decided to add that as well. I felt that if this mature artist decided to re-record the Suites after just 13 years, he must have done that for good reasons (reasons other than better audio quality, that is)! One of the reasons may have been in the new / different instrument, see below?

Instruments, Recording Coordinates

Cello “Servais” by Antonio Stradivari (1644 – 1737), Cremona, 1701, pitch: a’ = 432 Hz
Note that this is an unusually large instrument. Some speculate that originally it was tuned a full tone lower than standard cellos. Around 1850, its owner, the Belgian cellist Adrien-François Servais (1807 – 1866) had the instrument modified with the addition of an endpin—a first in the history of the cello. This way, he no longer needed to hold the instrument between his knees, but could rest it (i.e., the pin) on the floor.
Suite VI: 5-string violoncello piccolo (South Tyrol, c.1700), pitch: a’ = 415 Hz
Baroque bow

Recording location & date: American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, 1992-01-29:31

Individual Reviews

Jaap ter Linden, 1996

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Jaap ter Linden, 1996 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Jaap ter Linden, baroque cello

Harmonia mundi HMX 2957216.17 (2 CDs, stereo DDD); ℗ 1997/1999
Booklet: 16 pp. fr/en/de

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Jaap ter Linden, 1996 (CD, UPC-A barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Jaap ter Linden
Jaap ter Linden

My first batch of CD recordings of the Bach Suites was an attempt to look for recordings that I hadn’t known before. Along with Rostropovich’s 1991 recording, I was looking for HIP recordings. I bought two of these, one being the 1996 recording by the Dutch cellist, viol player and conductor Jaap ter Linden (*1947). Time has moved on since that recording, and we’ll see how that fares among the more recent HIP sets.

Instruments, Recording Coordinates

Baroque cello by Carlo Bergonzi (1683 – 1747), Cremona, 1725 – 30, pitch: a’ = 415 Hz
Suite VI: 5-string violoncello piccolo by Antonio Amati (1560 – 1649) & Hieronymus Amati (1562 – 1630), Cremona, c.1600, pitch: a’ = 415 Hz
Baroque bow

Recording location & date: Forde Abbey, Chard, Somerset, U.K., 1996-10-21:28

Individual Reviews

Vito Paternoster, 1998

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Vito Paternoster, 1998 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Vito Paternoster, cello

Magnatune.com (stereo, 16 bit); © 2003
Download or streaming from Magnatune.com
Booklet not available

amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Vito Paternoster (source: www.vitopaternoster.it)
Vito Paternoster

In the early days of my blogging activities, I bought a few recordings from Magnatune.com. That was before they switched to a subscription model and ultimately converted to a streaming platform. Among the recordings which I ran into and found interesting was this one, recorded 1998. It was one of very few instances where I just ended up with the audio files. There was no booklet or other associated information. I only have the above cover image.

Vito Paternoster (*1957, see also Wikipedia) is an Italian cellist and conductor. He served as principal cellist for I Musici di Roma.

The artist has also recorded a cello transcription of Bach’s “Sei Solo”, the Six Sonatas and Partitas for violin solo, BWV 1001 – 1006. That recording is also featured in my extensive set of comparison posts on these works.

Instrument

Cello by Lorenzo Carcassi (1737 – 1775), Florence, 1792

Individual Reviews

Pieter Wispelwey, 1998

J.S. Bach, Suites or Cello Solo — Pieter Wispelwey, 1998 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Pieter Wispelwey, cello

Channel Classics CCS 12298 (2 CDs, stereo); ℗/© 1998
Booklet: 32 pp. en/nl/fr/de

J.S. Bach, Suites or Cello Solo — Pieter Wispelwey, 1998 (CD, UPC-A barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Besides Rostropovich’s 1991 recording, and Jaap ter Linden’ 1996 CD set the first batch of CD recordings of the Cello Suites included a second HIP performance, the 1998 recording by the Dutch cellist Pieter Wispelwey (*1962), actually one of the pupils of Anner Bylsma (1934 – 2019). To me, Wispelwey is ranking very high up, maybe the top of living cellists of his generation—worldwide, for the baroque and classic repertoire, at the very least. His top ranking is confirmed in my review / comparison of recordings of the cello sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827).

Instruments, Recording Coordinates

Cello by Barak Norman (c.1670 – c.1740), London, 1710, pitch: a’ = 415 Hz
Suite VI: anonymous 5-string violoncello piccolo, 18th century, pitch: a’ = 415 Hz

Recording location & date: Church of Valkkoog, The Netherlands, 1998-01

Individual Reviews

Paolo Pandolfo, 2000 — Viola da gamba

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Paolo Pandolfo, Viola da gamba, 2000 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Paolo Pandolfo, viola da gamba

Glossa Platinum GCD P30405 (2 CDs, stereo); © 2004
Booklet: 20 + 36 pp. it/en/fr/es/de

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Paolo Pandolfo, Viola da gamba, 2000 (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Paolo Pandolfo (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Paolo Pandolfo

As a last cello suites addition to my collection in the early 2000’s (actually 2008), I could not resist adding the 2000 viola da gamba recording by the Italian virtuoso player, composer, and teacher Paolo Pandolfo (*1964). I had heard the artist in concert (in the provincial town in which I live). Even more importantly, I hold his recordings of works by Marin Marais (1656 – 1728), Antoine Forqueray (1671 – 1745), and Jean-Baptiste Forqueray (1699 – 1782) in very, very high esteem. Even though Bach’s Cello Suites aren’t really in the domain of the viola da gamba, my curiosity prevailed…

Transcription vs. Interpretation

My comments will reveal it: Paolo Pandolfo’s CD title “Bach, the six suites” is a partial misnomer. The artist does not simply perform Bach’s Suites on the viola da gamba. He transposes most of the suites, for them to suit the abilities and the strengths of the instrument. That part of the adaptation is perfectly acceptable and expected (Myriam Rignol also uses transposing, albeit to different keys). Note that accommodating Bach’s original score on the viol already is a non-trivial task, given the typical tuning of A, – D – G – c – e – a – d’ for a 7-string instrument (as opposed to C – G – d – a on the cello).

Beyond that, however (and more importantly), Paolo Pandolfo does not just try realizing Bach’s score.. Rather, he is exploiting all the extra features / strengths / advantages that his instrument offers, such as extra polyphony and harmonization, arpeggiando playing. And he adds the viol’s typical “language”, such as rich, French style ornamentation.

Instrument, Recording Coordinates

Viola da gamba by Lorenzo Carcassi (1737 – 1775), Florence, 1792; pitch: a’ = 415 Hz

Recording location & date: Sajazarra, La Rioja, Spain, 2000-10

Individual Reviews

Steven Isserlis, 2005

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Steven Isserlis, 2005 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012
4 additional tracks, see below

Steven Isserlis, cello

hyperion CDA67541/2 (2 CDs, stereo DDD); ℗ 2007
Booklet: 20 pp. en/fr/de

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Steven Isserlis, 2005 (CD, UPC-A barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Steven Isserlis / ZKO — Zürich
Steven Isserlis

Another cellist among my very top favorites is the British cellist Steven Isserlis (*1958), grandson of the Russian pianist and composer Julius Isserlis (1888 – 1968). My high esteem for the artist is based on recordings: he was among the top artists in my review / comparison of recordings of the cello sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827). However, I have also witnessed his playing in several concerts, and he also featured in other CD reviews. His 2005 recording of the Bach Suites was one of the last additions to my collection—at least, the last one to arrive here, physically. The above CD set is somewhat hard to come by, unless one is willing to pay fantasy prices.

Extras

This recording includes four additional tracks:

Instruments, Recording Coordinates

Cello “De Munck-Feuermann” (& Parisot) by Antonio Stradivari (1644 – 1737), Cremona, 1730 (Suites I – IV, VI)
Suite V: Cello by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesú (1698 – 1744), Cremona

Recording location & date: Henry Wood Hall, London, U.K., 2005-12-04:08

Individual Reviews

Jean-Guihen Queyras, 2007

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Jean-Guihen Queyras, 2007 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello

harmonia mundi HMC 901970.71 (2 CDs, stereo; + 1 DVD); ℗ 2007
Booklet: 28 pp. fr/en/de

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Jean-Guihen Queyras, 2007 (CD, UPC-A barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Jean-Guihen Queyras (© Jean-Guihen Queyras)
Jean-Guihen Queyras

In my review / comparison of recordings of the cello sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827), the French cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras (*1967) turned out one of the top favorites. He is a very versatile artist with a broad repertoire / scope, from baroque/classical up to contemporary music, and an friendly, open/communicative personality. In the time of the pandemic, Queyras did a video broadcast series about the Bach Cello Suites.

Even though his 2007 performances are not “strictly HIP” (he uses a modern bow, and a modernized cello), I decided to add his recording of the Suites. With all of this artist’s qualities, this can’t possibly be a bad interpretation! This was the first addition during my life as blogger—almost 10 years after Paolo Pandolfo’s set.

Extras

The recording includes an extra “Making of” DVD (HMD 9909015) about the recording of the cello suites (French, with optional English or German subtitles, 13 minutes each). The DVD also includes a full video recording (21’45”) of the artist performing Suite No.3 for Cello Solo in C major, BWV 1009.

Instrument, Recording Coordinates

Cello by Gioffredo Cappa (1644 – 1717), Saluzzo, Italy, 1696

Recording location & date: Church St. Cyriak, Sulzburg / Baden, Germany, 2007-03

Individual Reviews

Ophélie Gaillard, 2010

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Ophélie Gaillard, 2010 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Ophélie Gaillard, cello

Aparté / harmonia mundi AP017 (2 CDs, stereo); ℗/© 2011
Booklet: 24 pp. fr/en

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Ophélie Gaillard, 2010 (CD, UPC-A barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Ophélie Gaillard (CC BY-SA-4.0; Cyril Gervais - Own work)
Ophélie Gaillard

During the pandemic, I felt that this comparison project came closer to a realization, and for that, I wanted to expand my collection, especially in areas that were not covered very well yet—newer HIP recordings, for example. One recording that seemed to fill that requirement is the one that the French cellist Ophélie Gaillard (*1974, see also Wikipedia) made in 2010, twelve years after she won third prize in the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig.

Instrument, Recording Coordinates

Cello by Francesco Goffriller (1692 – 1750), Udine, Italy, 1737; pitch: a’ = 415 Hz
Anonymous Flemish 5-string violoncello piccolo; pitch: a’ = 415 Hz
Baroque bow

Recording location & date: IRCAM (Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics & Music), Paris, 2010-09:10

Individual Reviews

Pieter Wispelwey, 2012

J.S. Bach, Suites or Cello Solo — Pieter Wispelwey, 2012 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Pieter Wispelwey, cello

Evil Penguin Records Classic EPRC 0027 (2 CDs, stereo); 2017
Booklet: 28 pp. en/fr/de

J.S. Bach, Suites or Cello Solo — Pieter Wispelwey, 2012 (CD, UPC-A barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Pieter Wispelwey (© Carolien Sikkenk / www.photoline.nl)
Pieter Wispelwey

In 2020, along with Ophélie Gaillard’s 2010 recording, I also ran into Pieter Wispelwey‘s newer recording from 2012 (14 years after the 1998 recording). This may have reminded me of the fact that I already had dealt with two (series of) recordings by that artist. This was in the comparison of recordings of the cello sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827). There, the differences between the performances were substantial. And so, I concluded that checking the newer recording is a must. The cover of the CD booklet refers to “A new instrument, new sonorities, and new insights” that motivated the artist to make this new recording. The comparison will show…

Instruments, Recording Coordinates

Baroque cello by Pieter Rombouts (1667 – 1740), Amsterdam, 1710; pitch: a’ = 392 Hz
Suite VI: anonymous violoncello piccolo, 18th century; pitch: a’ = 392 Hz
Baroque bow by Andreas Grütter, Amsterdam

Recording location & date: Serendipitous Studio, Mechelen, Belgium, 2012-06

Individual Reviews

Isang Enders, 2013

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Isang Enders, 2013 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Isang Enders, cello

Edel Germany / Berlin Classics 0300552BC (2 CDs, stereo); ℗/© 2014
Booklet: 44 pp. de/en/f

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Isang Enders, 2013 (CD, UPC-A barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Last spring (2023), when I was about to tackle this comparison project in earnest, I did one last screening of recordings in amazon, and in streaming media. I ran across this 2013 recording and found it interesting. At a first glance, it struck me with its individuality, being “special”, analytical, including some extremes. However, he is using little vibrato, and he is virtuosic. I did not expect this to end up as a top favorite (and it’s not a HIP performance). It nevertheless made me curious.

I have encountered the Korean/German cellist Isang Enders (*1988) once, in a concert on 2019-05-03, as a member of the Sitkovetsky Trio.

Instrument, Recording Coordinates

Cello labeled “Joseph Gagliano, filius fecit 1720“, i.e., probably by a member of the Gagliano family in Naples, Italy. There are violins with a label “Joseph Gagliano Filius Nicolai et Nepos Januarius fecit Neapoli” from around 1780. From that, I suspect that the (hand-written) label means 1790, and the maker could be Giuseppe Gagliano (c.1770 – 1800), Naples, Italy.
Modern bows by Joseph Gabriel Silver, 2007 (Suites V, II, IV) and C. Hans-Karl Schmidt Gold, 2012 (Suites III, I, VI)

Recording location & date: TELDEX Studios, Berlin, 2012-11 and 2013-11 (Suites III, I, VI)

Individual Reviews

David Watkin, 2013

J.S. Bach, Suites or Cello Solo — David Watkin, 2013 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

David Watkin, cello

Resonus RES10147 (2 CDs, stereo); ℗/© 2015
Booklet: 20 pp. English

J.S. Bach, Suites or Cello Solo — David Watkin, 2013 (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

The same last batch of recordings that included Isang Enders’s 2013 set above, I also found (and added) the 2013 recording by David Watkin (*1966). David Watkin was one of England’s foremost cellists up till 2015, when he was forced to give up his cello career due to scleroderma. Since then, the artist devotes his musical life to teaching and conducting. From my screening, I expected this interpretation to be an excellent addition to the “HIP segment”, with chances for a very high rating.

Instruments, Recording Coordinates

Cello by Francesco Rugeri (c.1628 – 1698), Cremona, c.1670; pitch: a’ = 415 Hz
Suite VI: 5-string violoncello piccolo by Antonio Amati (1560 – 1649) & Hieronymus Amati (1562 – 1630), Cremona, c.1600; pitch: a’ = 415 Hz
Baroque bow by John Waterhouse, after a model by Tononi (?), Italy, c.1725

Recording location & date: The Robin Chapel, Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K., 2013-03-26, 2013-06-19, 2013-06-21:22, and 2013-12-10:12

Individual Reviews

Thomas Demenga, 2014

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Thomas Demenga, 2014 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Thomas Demenga, cello

ECM New Series 2530/31 (CD, stereo); ℗/© 2017
Booklet: 26 pp. de/en

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Thomas Demenga, 2014 (CD, UPC-A barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Thomas Demenga (© Ismael Lorenzo)
Thomas Demenga

To me, the Swiss cellist and composer Thomas Demenga (*1954) has been a “known entity” for many years—I remember hearing him perform on the radio, decades ago, together with his junior brother, the cellist Patrick Demenga (*1962). Strangely, over the past decade, I managed to experience his playing live just in two concerts so far (2015 and 2019)—both times with chamber music. Adding his 2014 recording of the Bach Cello Suites felt like “filling a long-standing gap” in my collection—and first peeks into his performance confirmed my interest into his interpretation.

The liner notes state that Thomas Demenga has been performing the Bach Suites for more than half a century. His first encounter was at age 9, and in 1964, his teacher sent him to a youth competition with these works.

Instruments, Recording Coordinates

(Re-)baroquized cello from the school of Carlo Giuseppe Testore (1660 – 1716) and his family, Milano, 18th century; pure gut strings, pitch: a’ = 392 Hz
Suite VI: Cello by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesú (1698 – 1744), Cremona; pitch: a’ = 392 Hz
Baroque bow

Recording location & date: Hans-Huber-Saal, Stadtcasino, Basel, Switzerland, 2014

Individual Reviews

Marianne Dumas, 2016

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Marianne Dumas, 2016 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Marianne Dumas, cello

Urania Records LDV 14036 (2 CDs, stereo); ℗/© 2018
Booklet: 24 pp. it/fr/en

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Thomas Demenga, 2014 (CD cover)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Marianne Dumas (source: www.mariannedumas.com)
Marianne Dumas

Even though I hadn’t been familiar with the artist, the title image with the baroque bow, along with the subtitle “Rediscovering the baroque technique” was enough to evoke my curiosity for this 2016 recording!

Marianne Dumas is a French cellist who grew up in Bordeaux, where she also received her first education. She continued studying cello, first in Lyon, then in the United States. She worked in Spain for 6 years, before moving to Berlin in 2014.

What is it then about the subtitle? The artist found a reference by Johann Joachim Quantz (1697 – 1773) stating that in baroque times, some artists were applying viola da gamba technique to the cello, by inverting the meaning of down- and up-strokes: “instead of a down-stroke from left to right for the principal notes, they make an up-stroke from right to left, beginning from the tip of the bow”. In the artist’s experience, this completely alters the response of the instrument, as well as the weight of the notes. This fascinated Marianne Dumas enough to motivate her to make this a research project.

“Inverted bowing”: the videos on her Website show that Marianne Dumas still holds the baroque bow the way baroque cellists do, not with inverted hand on the “hairy side”, as viola da gamba players do. I leave it up to the reader to explore this in more detail from her liner notes, and from her recording.

Instruments, Recording Coordinates

Baroque cello by Daniel Josua König (*1980), Leipzig, Germany; pitch: a’ = 415 Hz
Suite VI: 5-string baroque cello by Johannes Löscher, Cologne, Germany; pitch: a’ = 415 Hz
baroque bow by Hans Reiners, Berlin

Recording location & date: B-sharp Studio, Berlin, Germany, 2016-01-12:14 and 2016-03-15:17

Individual Reviews

Kim Kashkashian, 2017 — Viola

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Kim Kashkashian, Viola, 2017 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Kim Kashkashian, viola

ECM New Series 2553/54 (2 CDs, stereo); ℗/© 2018
Booklet: 30 pp. English + some German

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Kim Kashkashian, Viola, 2017 (CD, UPC-A barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Kim Kashkashian (© Steve Riskind)
Kim Kashkashian

In my comparison post on Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for Violin solo, BWV 1001 – 1006, I also included performances on the viola, and even (!) on the cello. So, when I ran into the above 2017 recording of the Cello Suites on viola by the American violist Kim Kashkashian (*1952), I very much felt like including that for reasons of instrumental diversity. I did it also because so far, I haven’t discussed recordings or performances of that artist, who is one of the world’s top violists.

As already with the Sonatas and Partitas for Violin solo, this addition was well worth the effort. One should note that there is a difference between viola transcriptions of violin works and those of works for cello. With the former, the main challenges are in chords and polyphony on the left hand (and, to a lesser degree, in the heavier character / nature of the viola). Transcriptions of cello works should be less of a challenge, the main difference being in the change in “bow mechanics”. Apart from situations where cellists would use the left-hand thumb on the fingerboard—but I don’t think that’s the case with Bach’s Cello Suites.

Where violin works need to be transposed down by a fifth, cello works are transposed up by a full octave. Consequently, one can expect cello works to exhibit a larger shift in character and expression.

Instruments, Recording Coordinates

Viola by Stefan-Peter Greiner (*1966), Bonn / London / Zürich
Suite VI: 5-string viola by Francesco Bissolotti (1929 – 2019), Cremona, 1989

Recording location & date: American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, 2016-11 and 2017-02

Individual Reviews

Sergey Malov, 2018 — Violoncello da spalla

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Sergey Malov, Violoncello da spalla, 2018 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Sergey Malov, violoncello da spalla

Sony / Solo Musica SM 343 (2 CDs, stereo); ℗/© 2020
Booklet: 16 pp. en/ru/de

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Sergey Malov, Violoncello da spalla, 2018 (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

While adding several recordings in 2022, I found the above 2018 interpretation on a “violoncello da spalla” (shoulder cello) by the Russian violist / violinist (!) Sergey Malov (*1983). In the spirit of broadening the scope, I decided to add this recording, too. I did that with considerable hesitation, once I realized that Sergey Malov is consequently omitting all repeats—apparently just to squeeze all six Suites onto a single CD. That certainly does not win him an award—but so be it…

There are references about the use of violoncello and/or viola da spalla in baroque times, and there are also other artists performing “da spalla” instruments. For example, there are videos of Sigiswald Kuijken (*1944) performing on a viola da spalla (probably tuned just like Malov’s instrument). However, I would not classify Sergey Malov’s interpretation as “strictly HIP”, as he uses a newly built instrument with custom-made strings (albeit with a tailor-made baroque bow).

Instrument, Recording Coordinates

Violoncello da spalla by Dmitry Badiarov (*1969), Den Haag, The Netherlands
Tailor-made baroque bow by Luis Emilio Rodriguez Carrington (*1955), Den Haag, The Netherlands
Tailor-made strings by Thomastik Infeld

Recording location & date: Interjam Studios, Berlin, Germany, 2018

Individual Reviews

Emmanuelle Bertrand, 2019

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Emmanuelle Bertrand, 2019 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Emmanuelle Bertrand, cello

Harmonia mundi HMM 902293.94 (2 CDs, stereo); ℗/© 2019
Booklet: 20 pp. fr/en/de

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Emmanuelle Bertrand, 2019 (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Emmanuelle Bertrand (source: www.musicalta.com)
Emmanuelle Bertrand

One of five additions from 2022 is the 2019 recording by the eminent French cellist Emmanuelle Bertrand (*1973). So far, this artist has mostly (and extensively) recorded works from the 20th century, as well as contemporary composers, besides romantic works. Her playing has received highest praise. It looks like the Bach Suites are her first major “recording excursion” into baroque music. Emmanuelle Bertrand works as teacher at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse (CNSMD) de Paris, besides pursuing an extensive career as soloist.

Instrument, Recording Coordinates

Cello by Carlo Annibale Tononi (1675 – 1730), Venice, early 18th century, with gut strings; pitch: a’ = 415 Hz
Baroque bow by René-William and Michel Groppe, Metz, France

Recording location & date: Notre-Dame de Bon Secours, Paris, France, 2018-02:03

Individual Reviews

Juris Teichmanis, 2019

J.S. Bach, Suites or Cello Solo — Juris Teichmanis, 2019 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Juris Teichmanis, cello

Decurio DEC-003 (2 CDs, stereo); ℗/© 2019
Booklet: 24 pp. de/en

J.S. Bach, Suites or Cello Solo — Juris Teichmanis, 2019 (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

In my last, detailed screening round prior to launching this comparison in earnest, I checked (through extensive previewing) some 15 recordings. This was a selection from a previous, larger (but faster / more superficial) screening round. The name Juris Teichmanis (*1966) was new to me. However, his 2019 interpretation—which he devoted to the memory of Anner Bylsma (1934 – 2019)—caught my attention as being one of the better HIP performances. The comparison will show whether that judgement holds!

Biography

Juris Teichmanis was born in Freiburg im Breisgau / Germany, into a Latvian family of musicians. He is still based in Freiburg. However, he pursues an international career as soloist and chamber musician, covering a broad scope from baroque/HIP to contemporary music. The booklet includes an extensive (and interesting) interview with the artist, in which—among many other things—he explains his selection of pitch. He states that a pitch of a’ = 400 Hz was customary for chamber music at the Paris court orchestra. The Köthen court had intense relations with Paris (as well as with Berlin).

Instruments, Recording Coordinates

Anonymous cello, 18th century; gut strings and baroque bow; pitch: a’ = 400 Hz
Suite VI: Violoncello piccolo from Southern Germany, c.1750; gut strings and baroque bow; pitch: a’ = 400 Hz

Recording location & date: Ensemblehaus, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, 2018-10-05:07, 2019-01-10:11, 2019-03-03

Individual Reviews

Benedict Kloeckner, 2020

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Benedict Kloeckner, 2020 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012; 6 contemporary works, see below

Benedict Kloeckner, cello

Brilliant Classics 96403 (3 CDs, stereo); ℗/© 2021
Booklet: 12 pp. English

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Benedict Kloeckner, 2020 (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Benedict Kloeckner (source: www.benedictkloeckner.de)
Benedict Kloeckner

In the same batch of recordings from which I selected Juris Teichmanis‘ CD set, I ran into this set, featuring Benedict Kloeckner (*1989). The name of the artist was not new to me, even though I have neither heard him in concert, nor written about him. Of course, I have realized from press and media that he is one of the prominent cellists of his generation. In fact, from my first samplings of the cello suites recording, I felt that he is a serious artist, playing carefully and with solid technique, offering considerate interpretations. That, and the interesting idea of combining each Bach Suite with a contemporary piece that the artist commissioned himself, motivated me to include this 3-CD set in the comparison.

Extras

This recording comes on three CDs. The six suites are present in their original sequence (BWV 1007 – 1012). However, after each of the suites, the artist included a short (2’35” – 4’16”) contemporary piece for solo cello that he commissioned for the purpose of this recording. These pieces are in a single movement, each referring to the preceding Bach Suite:

I’ll briefly discuss / describe these pieces in the comparison posting for the associated Cello Suite.

Mixing Bach & Contemporary

A general remark here: for concert performances, the combination with contrasting (but fitting) contemporary pieces is an excellent idea (apart from the contemporary compositions themselves). I do discuss these extra pieces in a 1-on-1 fashion, i.e., together with the review of the artist’s recording of the associated suite.

However, with the physical media (or even on streaming platforms) one cannot expect people to listen through the entire recording (3 CDs, 2h40′) in a linear fashion. Hence, one can’t count on listeners to experience all these confrontations one by one. Should we therefore conclude that in parts this is a wasted effort? I think it was certainly worth the effort. For example, it allows concertgoers to re-live the combined experience after they heard the artist in concert.

Similar considerations hold true for the countless “themed” CDs with mix-and-match content. These have become popular / fashionable in recent years. Especially for young artists at the beginning of their career such media offer a “PR channel” for presenting their repertoire, their technical and musical strengths.

Instrument, Recording Coordinates

Cello by Francesco Rugeri (c.1628 – 1698), Cremona, c.1690, formerly played by Maurice Gendron (1920 – 1990).

Recording location & date: SWR Studio Kaiserslautern, Germany, 2020-09-14:15 .. 2020-11-16:17

Individual Reviews

Myriam Rignol, 2020 — Viola da gamba

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Myriam Rignol, Viola da gamba, 2020 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Myriam Rignol, viola da gamba

Château de Versailles CVS040 (CD, stereo); ℗ 2020 / © 2021
Booklet: 44 pp. fr/en/de

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Myriam Rignol, Viola da gamba, 2020 (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Myriam Rignol (source: www.mirare.fr)
Myriam Rignol

While screening Cello Suite recordings in spring 2022 I ran into the above, new (2020) recording by the French artist Myriam Rignol (*1988), performed on the viola da gamba. It immediately struck me that complementing Paolo Pandolfo’s viola da gamba interpretation with an alternative is an interesting option, so I went for it.

Only once I started studying this performance in more detail, I realized that the recording is not a direct “competition” to Paolo Pandolfo’s. The latter, whose interpretation is very much a transcription of Bach’s composition in the style of prominent, French viol composers / virtuosos, such as Marin Marais (1656 – 1728). Myriam Rignol’s interpretation, in contrast, is very little of a transcription (in her own words). Rather, it impersonates a cello, while offering the soundscape, the sonorities of the viola da gamba.

Biography

Myriam Rignol grew up in Perpignan, close to the Pyrenées and the Spanish border. She took most of her musical education from the CNSMD in Lyon, the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne, and from the Conservatoire Royal in Brussels. She is since pursuing an intense career as soloist and chamber musician, as member of prominent ensembles such as Les Arts Florissants under its founder William Christie (*1944), the Ensemble Pygmalion under Raphaël Pichon (*1984), the Ricercar Consort under Philippe Pierlot (*1958), and others.

Instrument, Recording Coordinates

Viola da gamba (baroque bow); pitch: a’ = 400 Hz

Recording location & date: Cité de la Voix de Vézelay, France, 2020-11-16:21 (no, not in the Galerie des Glaces at the Château de Versailles, as the CD cover might suggest!)

Individual Reviews

Petr Skalka, 2020

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Petr Skalka, 2020 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012; Skalka: Improvisation to Suite I; H.I.F. Biber: Passacaglia “The Guardian Angel” (Sonata No.16 from The Rosary Sonatas)

Petr Skalka, cello

Claves 50-3101/02 (2 CDs, stereo); ℗/© 2023
Booklet: 23 pp. de/fr/en

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Petr Skalka, 2020 (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link

(Release date: 2024-02-08)

spacer5

Artist and Recording

Petr Skalka (source: FHNW; © Petr Skalka)
Petr Skalka

As mentioned below, the addition of Petr Skalka‘s 2020 recording to this comparison isn’t the result of my personal (re-)search and initiative. Rather, this is one of two pre-release CD sets that I received from Claves records, for reviewing, together with the 2021 recording by Pablo de Naverán.

Biography

The Czech cellist Petr Skalka was born in Prague, to a family of musicians—his father also was a cellist. Skalka studied at the Pilsen Music Conservatory. His musical interests moved towards early music and historically informed performance (HIP) practice. And so, he moved on to the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel (which is part of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, FHNW), where he continued his studies with Christophe Coin (*1958), graduating in 1999. Subsequently, Petr Skalka served as assistant teacher for Christophe Coin, and now has himself become a teacher for baroque cello at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis.

Petr Skalka has been and is performing with notable ensembles such as Café Zimmermann, La Chambre Philharmonique with Emmanuel Krivine (*1947), and the Ensemble Baroque de Limoges. He has also performed with artists such as the HIP pioneer Gustav Leonhardt (1928 – 2012).

In parallel to his career as musician and teacher, Petr Skalka pursues a second career as photographer.

Instruments, Recording Coordinates

Recording location & date: Valy, Czech Republic, 2020-06 & 2020-08

Individual Reviews

Extra: Lucile Boulanger, 2020 — Viola da gamba

Lucile Boulanger, "Solo Bach-Abel" (CD cover)

“Solo Bach — Abel“

Lucile Boulanger, viola da gamba

Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Alpha 783 (2 CDs, stereo, ℗ / © 2021)
Booklet: 19pp., fr/en/de

Lucile Boulanger, "Solo Bach-Abel" (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Lucile Boulanger (2021, © Richard Dumas)
Lucile Boulanger

At the onset to this comparison project I declared that I would only consider complete recordings. And indeed, I only acquired complete recordings of all six Suites. However, as a “byproduct” of seeking for suitable recording I ran into a recording “Solo Bach-Abel”, featuring the the French gambist (viola da gamba player) Lucile Boulanger (*1986, see also Wikipedia.fr). I have discussed the bulk of that recording in a separate media review, published on 2024-01-02. That recording does not include all of Bach’s Suites. For details on the artist’s biography see also that separate posting.

Lucile Boulanger’s recording doesn’t even feature one complete, original Bach Cello Suite. However, it does include several movements from Bach’s Suites:

  • Allemande from the Cello Suite No.6 in D major, BWV 1012
  • Courante from the Cello Suite No.3 in C major, BWV 1009,
  • Sarabande from the Cello Suite No.6 in D major, BWV 1012
  • Gavottes I/II from the Cello Suite No.6 in D major, BWV 1012

I have briefly discussed these movements in the posting I referred to and even compared it to the two complete viola da gamba interpretations that are part of this comparison (Paolo Pandolfo, Myriam Rignol). I don’t want to duplicate my remarks in that earlier posting. However, I though that tor the sake of completeness it might be interesting to include the essence of my findings for these movements from that earlier posting in a format that matches that of this comparison.

Instruments, Recording Coordinates

7-string bass Viola da gamba by François Bodart, Andenne / Belgium, 2006, after an instrument by Joachim Tielke (1641 – 1719), Hamburg, 1699; pitch: a’ = 415 Hz
gut strings, bows by Craig Ryder and Luis Emilio Rodriguez Carrington

Recording location & date: Abbaye de Noirlac, Bruère-Allichamps, France, 2020-12

Individual Reviews

  • Suite No.3, BWV 1009 (Courante only)
  • Suite No.6, BWV 1012 (Allemande, Sarabande, Gavottes I/II only, review planned)

Bruno Philippe, 2021

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Bruno Philippe, 2021 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Bruno Philippe, cello

Harmonia mundi HMM 902684.85 (2 CDs, stereo); ℗ 2022
Booklet: 34 pp. fr/en/de

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Bruno Philippe, 2021 (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Bruno Philippe (© Philippe Matsas)
Bruno Philippe

Finally: the various media and mailings that I encountered (and enthusiastic comments by fellow cellists) kept pushing the 2021 recording by Bruno Philippe (*1993). He clearly is the youngest of the artists that I considered for this comparison. I listened to the recording on streaming channels and decided to include it in the 2022 batch of five recordings.

More than others, maybe, Bruno Philippe took the six Suites as a “dramatic ensemble” describing the “journey of a human being’s life”. Concrete: Suite I = birth; Suite II = experience; Suite III: life; Suite IV = spirituality; Suite V = death; Suite VI = resurrection. A spiritual, maybe even religious view? Interestingly, while on CD, the Suites appear in numerical order, Bruno Philippe decided to record them in the order V (!) — VI — IV — III — II — I. Ignoring the artist’s philosophical view, I found his interpretation highly interesting, individual—and compelling (at a first glance, at least). And historically informed, of course.

Biography

Bruno Philippe studied at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse (CNSMD) de Paris, where Raphaël Pidoux (*1967) and Jérôme Pernoo (*1972) were his main (cello) teachers. He continued his studies at Kronberg Academy, with Frans Helmerson (*1945), followed by master classes with David Geringas (*1946), Steven Isserlis (*1958), Gary Hoffman (*1956), Pieter Wispelwey (*1962), and Clemens Hagen (*1966). With this experience, he started a successful career as soloist and chamber musician. He now frequently performs with the lutenist Thomas Dunford (*1988), the harpsichordist Jean Rondeau (*1991), and the mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre (*1993).

Instrument, Recording Coordinates

Cello by Carlo Annibale Tononi (1675 – 1730), Venice; with gut strings and baroque bow

Recording location & date: La Courroie, Entraigues-sur-la-Sorgue, France, 2021-07:08

Individual Reviews

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Pablo de Naverán, 2021 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Pablo de Naverán, cello

Claves 50-3062-64 (3 CDs, stereo); ℗/© 2023
Booklet: none

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Pablo de Naverán, 2021 (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

All recordings above were all acquired on my own initiative. This one is different: I received this from Claves Records, as pre-release copy for reviewing. This was right after I completed the first comparison / review. After listening into excerpts, and after careful consideration about the amount of extra work / effort, I decided to allow for this one extra recording. See my notes below about such additions.

Biography

Pablo de Naverán (*1975) spent his childhood in the Spanish city of Bilbao (Basque country). He started studying the cello at age 11. From age 17, he studied at the International Menuhin Music Academy (IMMA) in Rolle, Switzerland. There, his teachers were Lord Yehudi Menuhin (1916 – 1999), Alberto Lysy (1935 – 2009), and Radu Aldulescu (1922 – 2006). He continued his studies with the French cellist Philippe Muller (*1946) at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, passing his academic degree with the highest grade. Pablo de Naverán has since earned prizes at prestigious international competitions. He is pursuing an international career as soloist, giving concerts, and participating in festivals from Argentina to Japan.

At age 27, Pablo de Naverán started teaching cello and chamber music at the International Menuhin Music Academy (IMMA) in Rolle, and he also was professor at the Higher Conservatory of Music of Extremadura (Spain). He also has been offering master classes in Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, and Portugal. For full details see the artist’s Web biography.

Instrument, Recording Coordinates

Cello by Carlo Antonio Testore (1687 – 1765), Milan, 1723

Recording location & date: Église de Perroy, Switzerland, 2021-09

Individual Reviews

Jean-Guihen Queyras, 2023

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Jean-Guihen Queyras, 2023 (CD cover)

Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007 – 1012

Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello

harmonia mundi HMM 902388.90 (2 CDs, stereo; + 1 Blu-ray disc); ℗ 2024
Booklet: 32 pp. fr/en/de

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo — Jean-Guihen Queyras, 2023 (CD, EAN-13 barcode)
amazon media link
spacer5

Artist and Recording

Jean Guihen Queyras (© 2024 Jean Guihen Queyras. All rights reserved)
Jean Guihen Queyras

At least in France, the 2007 performances by cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras (*1967) are considered the reference recordings. My comparison results (especially for Suite No.3) agree with this assessment, at least among the “not strictly HIP” recordings. Over the past 17 years, however, Jean-Guihen Queyras has continued to perform and study Bach’s cello suites. A major milestone in Jean-Guihen Queyras’ work with the suites was his participation in the ballet production “Mitten wir im Leben sind / Bach6cellosuiten“. This led to more than 100 public performances internationally, over the course of several years.

The recording includes an extra Blu-ray Disc “Mitten wir im Leben sind / Bach6Cellosuiten“, featuring a 4K video recording of the ballet production with and around Jean-Guihen Queyras’s cello performance. This recording was made in 2022-07 at Lites Studios, Vilvoorde, Belgium. I try giving a cursory description of the dance production below.

The full (“proper”) audio recording of the six suites was done more than a year after the video production, in 2023-10 in Haarlem, The Netherlands. Jean-Guihen Queyras’ instrument was the same as in his 2007 recording, and similarly, this recent recording is not “strictly HIP” (modern bow, a modernized cello).

Instrument, Recording Coordinates

Cello by Gioffredo Cappa (1644 – 1717), Saluzzo, Italy, 1696. In the booklet, Jean-Guihen Queyras explains that he considered switching to another instrument. In the end, he decided to stay with his Cappa cello, thus keeping the focus on the evolution of his interpretation, rather than on differences in sound / sonorities.

Recording location & date: Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente, Haarlem, The Netherlands, 2023-10

Individual Reviews

  • Suite No.1, BWV 1007 (recording released after completion of the BWV 1007 comparison; may be reviewed later)
  • Suite No.2, BWV 1008 (recording released after completion of the BWV 1008 comparison; may be reviewed later)
  • Suite No.3, BWV 1009 (recording released after completion of the BWV 1009 comparison; may be reviewed later)
  • Suite No.4, BWV 1010 (review planned)
  • Suite No.5, BWV 1011 (review planned)
  • Suite No.6, BWV 1012 (review planned)

All music reviews are in separate posts for each of the suites. An exception is the Blu-ray disc that comes with this recording, as the ballet performance covers all of the suites. It’s review shouldn’t be divided into segments, although one can of course select and watch the ballet performance for individual suites:

Mitten wir im Leben sind / Bach6Cellosuiten — The Cello Suites in a Dance Production

The video recording (Blu-ray Disc) is in 4K (16:9, BD-25) format and has a duration of 110’25”, with an intro / header “chapter” of 4’16” (an excerpt of the Prélude from Suite No.1 in G major, BWV 1007). For comparison: the complete audio recording (2 CDs) has a total duration of 134’49”. See below for an explanation of the difference in overall duration. A key point is that the two productions are not strictly parallel. Rather, they are complementary: the dance production is a key resource from and through which the artist developed and grew his latest interpretation of the Cello Suites, recorded 15 months after the dance recording.

In a way, the dance production can serve as an explanation / illustration / background for the audio recording. Therefore, I strongly recommend watching the video first, before delving into the audio recording. Another reason for this sequence is that the dance production omits some movements / segments, as discussed below, so that the viewer does not experience the Bach Suites in their entirety. I’m not a dance expert. Also, the recording does not try to hide the stage noises (and sometimes the breathing of the dancers), which may distract from the music. Nevertheless, I would like to share my impressions of the dance production:

The Concept

At the center of the dance performance is the music—Bach’s Cello Suites in their numerical order, and the artist, Jean-Guihen Queyras, who performs them. The cellist plays (all from memory, of course) on an ordinary chair in the center of the stage. The latter is a simple black or dark gray plane without visible boundaries (the background merges into indifferent, total darkness). The floor is marked with a faint pattern of large, overlapping circles, as well as a series of “V”-shaped marks that reveal their purpose in the course of the performance.

The camera mostly stays at eye level (occasionally below), typically zooming in on the dancer(s) or on the cellist, avoiding cuts within a suite movement. The dancers either appear from the off, behind the camera, or they emerge from the darkness of the background. Only for the transitions between the suites, the camera looks down onto the central part of the stage.

A word of caution: I’m not a dance specialist, and I lack the vocabulary for a proper description of the dancing. Therefore, my descriptions below may feel sketchy. However, I also don’t want to “give it all away” by being too detailed. Rather, I want to arouse the reader’s curiosity.

The Dancers

The dance performance featured the Belgian dance company Rosas under the direction of choreographer and dancer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (*1960, see also Wikipedia). A small selection of five dancers appear in this production: Boštjan Antončič (*1980), Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker herself, Marie Goudot (*1978), Julien Monty (*1978), and Michaël Pomero (*1980).

Dance Performance and Choreography

A general word ahead: the combination of “Cello Suites” and “dance” may at first evoke pictures of ballet dancing, with its formal, precisely defined moves, an interplay between solo dancers and perfectly arranged and coordinated of dancers—classic ballet. This production, however, is contemporary expressive dance (Ausdruckstanz). The director of Rosas, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, is a contemporary dance choreographer, and her dancers in this production are all highly skilled professionals and linked to the Opéra National de Paris.

The choreography for the first 3, 4 suites follows a very similar basic scheme. Suites Nos.1 – 5 are mostly solo dances. Only in Suite No.6 all five dancers form a joint choreography.

The Setting

In the first intermission, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and the dancer of the second suite (Julien Monty) use colored tape to connect the innermost “V” marks on the floor to form a pentagram—a reference to the five dancers? In subsequent intermissions, this figure is expanded with a larger pentagram of a different color, connecting one corner of the existing figure with four additional “V” marks. There is no set other than the floor markings and the cellist, no props other than the dancers’ bodies—and the viewer’s imagination. The costumes are simple, black or dark blue, with gym shoes or sneakers—all individual, and complemented by simple colored skin markings for most of the dancers.

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker silently announces most suites with a simple gesture: solemn, earnest, commanding the viewer’s attention. Then, she hands the control over to Jean-Guihen Queyras. The cellist, of course, does not “control” the dance performance, but his eyes often follow the dancing, and occasionally a brief smile can be seen crossing his face.

The dance style, the gestures and movements are very different and specific to each dancer. It is unclear whether this is Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s detailed conception, or whether (as I suspect) the dancers were given great freedom to exploit a personal repertoire of movements and gestures. In general, the dancing is not strictly tied to the rhythmic pattern of the music, but follows the larger musical gestures—the phrasing, the climaxes, inspired by the emotions in Bach’s music.

spacer5
Suite No.1, G major

Main dancer: Michaël Pomero

For me, Michaël Pomero’s dancing is largely abstract: turns, searching, interaction with invisible, abstract “entities”, implied struggles, falling or being humiliated, recovering. Extreme body control—a strong, powerful performance. In the Allemande, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker joins in for a pas de deux in which the movements alternate between parallel, mirrored, complementary and independent—interaction without physical contact. One can feel joy and playfulness, but also moments of great deeds and achievements, as well as longing and wistfulness, even suffering.

The rest of the Suite is again a solo performance. The Courante: exuberant joy of life, powerful jumps, turns, pirouettes and rolls (but no formal classical dancing, of course!). Sarabande: recuperation, holding, “frozen time”, awakening. Menuet I: Departure, outlook, optimism, confidence. Menuet II: thrown back, regress, hesitation, uncertainty, a narrow escape. Gigue: exuberant joy and zest for life, memories of a carefree childhood?

spacer5
Suite No.2, D minor

Main dancer: Julien Monty

The sequence of movements in Suite No.2 is the same as in Suite No.1; not surprisingly, the scheme of the dance performance is quite similar to that of the first suite. This draws the viewer’s attention is drawn to the differences in style and character of the dancer’s performance. Again, the dancer’s movements and gestures appear abstract, leaving it to the viewer’s imagination to fill the dance with meaning.

Julien Monty’s dance is less a demonstration of strength—it focuses on elegance and smooth, flowing movements (though one can see that this performance is just as physically demanding as the first one). And, of course, the first pentagram serves as a geometric guide for part of the performance.

Ideas that ran through my mind during the Prélude: being defeated—fighting back—creativity emerging from hardship—reflection, realizing the weight of responsibility—fighting back again. As in Suite No.1, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker joins the dancer for the Allemande, including her signature moves. Here I see more coordinated action, a closer, even tight interaction—without physical contact. Courante: swirling, rapid motion, highly active, focused action, closely following the rhythm of the music, eruptions and sudden freezes. Determination—a mover and shaker. The Sarabande: creation, evolution, emergence, determination again, but obviously in slow motion. Attempted escape, surrender, resignation. Menuets I & II: cautious departure, distancing, withdrawal. Gigue: overwhelming joy, achievement, success—masterful, virtuosic dancing.

spacer5
Suite No.3, C major

Main dancer: Marie Goudot

The C major suite seems to follow the same scheme as the first two suites—at least at first. Marie Goudot performs the Prélude as a solo dance. The Allemande follows as a pas de deux with Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. The choreographer breaks the pattern with the second repeat of the Allemande, when the dance movements suddenly freeze, and “in reaction”, Jean-Guihen Queyras abruptly stops playing. After a long “frozen” pause, the dancers slowly “wake up” again—a silent transition to the Courante, which Marie Goudot dances alone again.

Another “pattern break” occurs in the first repeat of the Sarabande, where the cello continues to play, but Marie Goudot lies motionless on the floor, “glued” to one arm of the (second) pentagram. And with the second repeat the movement freezes again, the dancer “meditating” in a crouched position. Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker rejoins the scene for the two Bourrées, which take the form of a pas de deux, with the two dancers often holding hands—an allusion to a formal, baroque couple dance.

Fabulous Dancing

Instead of describing in detail the images that the dancing evokes in my mind, let me give a more general description of the performance. Clearly, Marie Goudot’s dancing is the highlight of this realization (at least so far). Her repertoire of movements and actions is immense, ranging from elegance and refinement to capriciousness, very personal and unique, sometimes bizarre or comical, occasionally puppet-like, often rapidly changing expression from one moment to the next. Not only that: she is closest to the music, sometimes “playing an imaginary (and abstract) instrument”.

Marie Goudot “shapes the space” around her, interacts with it like a fantastic pantomime artist—although the imaginary objects she manipulates always remain abstract. Fabulous! The pas de deux segments also demonstrate how finely tuned the two women are in their movements and expressions.

spacer5
Suite No.4, E♭ major

Main dancer: Boštjan Antončič

Closely following the meandering figures of the Prélude, Boštjan Antončič spirals in a delirium, in a virtuoso manner, fighting imaginary forces, until exhaustion, being knocked down, falling. A very physical and acrobatic performance: impressive, enthralling!

The Allemande is again a pas de deux with Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker—not strictly synchronous, but interactive, tightly coordinated and typically imitative. Jean-Guihen Queyras plays the first part without repetition, then the cello falls silent, only to return for the repeat of the second part. The large, central parts of the movement is a silent couple’s dance, with occasional physical contact, and one of the few times the camera momentarily shows the dancing from above, revealing the geometry of the choreography.

Courante: ecstasy, freedom, exploration and conquest of space. After this movement, Jean-Guihen Queyras leaves the stage and Boštjan Antončič performs a silent solo dance: a struggle, the search for meaning, effort, resolution and failure, despair, lost in space, fighting and submission, darkness, dream and vision, retreat. After this extended solo segment, Michaël Pomero and Julien Monty join in for a “2 + 1 marching performance”—silent, except for the rhythmic sound of the footsteps. One can see this as substitute for the two Bourrées. Finally, the silent substitute for the Gigue is a short and resolute solo dance by Boštjan Antončič: freedom, determination and conquest.

spacer5
Suite No.5, C minor

Main dancer: Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker

Into the ending of Suite No.4, Jean-Guihen Queyras returns to the podium for the Prélude of Suite No.5, while Boštjan Antončič finishes his solo dance. The dancer leaves the stage, and during the remainder of the alla breve introductory part of the Prélude, the next larger pentagram is marked on the floor, and Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s gestures announce Suite No.5, before the fugue section (in 3/8 time) begins. In this long and serious fugue, Jean-Guihen Queyras is alone in the semi-darkness of the empty stage, allowing the audience to concentrate on the mastery of Bach’s composition.

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker returns to the stage for the Allemande—this time alone. Here, the cellist does not play the repeats, and the dancer’s performance feels like a recollection, the quintessence of her contributions to the previous Allemandes. She continues to dance in the first part of the Courante, but soon leaves the stage to the cellist alone (the repeats are again omitted).

Emotional Climax

It is surely for good reason that there is no dancing during the Sarabande. It is the deepest, most introverted, excruciatingly painful, but also the most revolutionary and masterful of all the movements in the Cello Suites. The cellist omits the second repeat, as well as the two Gavottes and the Gigue. This is understandable, since the six suites in their entirety are too long for a single ballet performance. On the other hand, these omissions also give the Sarabande the extra weight it deserves: a pivotal point and the musical climax of all the suites.

spacer5
Suite No.6, D major

Dancers: Boštjan Antončič, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Marie Goudot, Julien Monty, Michaël Pomero

The serene, Apollonian Suite No.6 unites all five dancers in a single group choreography. Naturally, the viewer’s attention is now drawn to the group as a whole, away from the gestures and movements of the individual dancers. In general, the dancing in this suite is more closely tied to Bach’s music than in most solo performances. The character evolves from tightly coordinated and synchronized group choreography (Prélude) to freer, imitative “swarm” choreography to more casual, loosely coordinated, almost random forms (Courante). As the viewer’s eye tries to follow the often complex movements that often span the entire stage, at least some of the dancers use “signature” gestures and movements recognizable from the earlier suites.

Expressive Climax and Closure

The Sarabande features a moving, reflective group choreography full of symbolism. This must have been inspired by the famous group sculpture “The Burghers of Calais“ by Auguste Rodin (1840 – 1917). The movement leads to five motionless bodies spread across the pentagram in near darkness. The slow awakening at the end is almost transcendental. A tragic (and striking) counterpoint in an otherwise serene suite.

The first Gavotte is played without repeats, and Gavotte II is omitted entirely. In this way, Gavotte I and Gigue are joined to form a compelling final movement. Gavotte I brings back the “marching performance” from the second part of Suite No.4 (now with five dancers, of course), and the Gigue closes the cycle with a “swarm” choreography with abounding action and joy.

spacer5
Summary

This ballet performance by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and her ensemble Rosas is much more than a complement and foundation to Jean-Guihen Queyras‘ interpretation of Bach’s Cello Suites. Rather, it is a highly fascinating experience in itself: highly recommended!

Comparison Result Summary

Once comparison posts have been posted, I summarize the results for all artists here, in an overview table. For the actual comparison reviews (as available) see the links in the section near the top.

Bach: Cello Suites BWV 1007 – 1012, comparison summary table (© Rolf Kyburz, all rights reserved)
Bach: Cello Suites BWV 1007 – 1012, comparison summary table (© Rolf Kyburz, all rights reserved)

Conclusions / Overall Result Summary

At this point in the comparison, you can already see coherence in the outcome: for a given artist, the variations between the ratings of the individual cello suites are much smaller than the variations in the overall ratings between the artists.

How to Make Your Own Selection

For the reader, this means that if you want to make your own choices, you don’t necessarily have to listen through complete recordings. It should be enough to select a single suite for comparison, ideally one you are familiar with. That said: I would not choose Suite No.1: too easy, too popular. Also, drawing conclusions from Suite No.6 alone can be tricky, as you might end up juxtaposing interpretations on violoncello piccolo with others on a regular instrument. As if comparisons between baroque and modern(ized) instruments weren’t tricky enough!

A Note on Ratings

First and foremost: all my ratings reflect my own opinion, hence are inherently subjective. I use a 1 – 5-star rating scheme—simply because that’s what my player software (Apple Music) offers. I use the same scheme for concert reviews. You will note that for these, there are rarely reviews below a 3.0 (★★★) rating. That’s largely because I try to avoid concerts where I anticipate a marginal performance. And I stick to an “absolute” scale, where results below 3.0 are negative.

Ratings in Media Comparisons

In media comparisons, especially reviews involving many recordings, I tend to use a relative scale covering the full range of (close to) ★ … ★★★★★, to achieve more differentiation among the many ratings. My rating criteria are like the ones in concert, such as

  • does the performance reflect the notation, i.e., the composer’s (perceived) intent?
  • does it present the character of the piece (e.g., in the dance movements in baroque suites)?

Personal Views

My ratings also reflect how much a recording offers to me, personally. Particularly as a listener with interest in historically informed (HIP) performances. With this, I tend to give preference to HIP recordings. I do not mean to devalue the achievements of historic recordings by the great artists of the last century. However, time has moved on, and it is my belief that the in-depth encounter with HIP performances makes it hard(er) to enjoy some of the traditional recordings, especially romantic ones with heavy vibrato, etc. Again: this is my personal view. I don’t mean to spoil the pleasure that the fans of past great violinists draw from performances by their favorite artists.

Audiophile?

I should also mention that audiophile arguments play a secondary role in my ratings. My primary focus is on the interpretation, not perfection in recording technique. The latter comes into play mainly where it affects the audibility, clarity, and transparency, e.g., through excess reverberation. For newer recordings, blatantly dull, “muffled” sound typically also has an influence on the rating.

The History of the Collection in this Comparison

Let me give a general idea on how I came to the above selection of recordings.

LPs, Early Beginnings

  • I started collecting LPs about 55 years ago. I continued doing so up till around 1990. This happened mostly in haphazard fashion, trying to gain experience and familiarity with artists through collecting music. It wasn’t a systematic approach at all. Initially, LPs were gifts (birthday, Xmas), followed by my own purchases. Back then, my guides were casual interest, good deals, curiosity, and scarce knowledge on prominent names / artists.
  • My first LPs date back to 1967 (Beethoven). Three years later (1970), I received two LPs featuring Pablo Casals’ (1936 – 1939) interpretations of the Bach Cello Suites I/II and V/VI. The LP with the Suites III and IV was temporarily unavailable. Only in 1972, I came across an LP box with Pablo Casals’ complete set.
  • 1979, seven years later, I had long become a fan of historically informed performances. And so, I added a second set of LPs, featuring Anner Bylsma’s 1979 recording. I left it at that for my LP collection. Even after I switched to collecting CDs, no extra recordings of the Suites were added for quite a while:

Switching to Digital Media

Further Expanding the Scope, with Blogging in Mind

Getting Serious About a Comparison Post

Additions from a Final Screening

In April 2023, after the conclusion of the “Sei Solo” comparison, I decided to do a final screening, trying to round off my collection. Here are my thoughts for that final evaluation:

  • I’m considering recordings covering all six Suites only.
  • Particularly with young artists, I’m looking for promising, interesting interpretations—I want to avoid unnecessarily bashing musicians.

Among the 415 albums with these works in the IDAGIO catalog, I sampled some 15 additional recordings by listening to major excerpts, sometimes even the entire recording. Among the sampled recordings, here are the ones that made it into my collection:

  • While my “Sei Solo” collection featured quite a few “classic”, i.e., non-HIP recordings by famous artists from the mid-20th century, here, so far, I only had Pablo Casals’ 1936 – 1939 and Mstislav Rostropovich’s 1991 recordings. After some consideration, I decided to add Pierre Fournier‘s 1961 interpretation.
  • In addition, I selected four more recordings that caught my interest (for detailed comments see this comparison):

I kept this project “under the hood” up to the first postings, trying to avoid requests for review (by artists and/or agencies) that would make this project even bigger.

Late Additions

Shortly after I posted the first comparison in this series (on the G major Suite, BWV 1007), Claves Records SA sent me a pre-release copy of Pablo de Naverán‘s 2021 recording for reviewing. Review CDs keep piling up in my collection, and I rarely ever find the time to discuss such unsolicited recordings. So far, I have received over a dozen CDs / CD sets from that label (and they are not the only ones sending me recordings!).

I have repeatedly stated that with such large comparisons, additions “after the fact” are virtually impossible, as such late amendments cause a disproportionate amount of work. Here, however, I did a quick check and found that at this stage, adding these extra recordings is doable, the extra effort still (just) affordable (around full workdays, apart from the actual review / evaluation). So, I’m allowing for these exceptions here.

Shortly after I amended the first comparison in this series (on the Suite No.1 in G major, BWV 1007) as indicated above, Claves Records SA sent me yet another pre-release CD set for reviewing—this time with the 2020 recording by Petr Skalka. As I had been busy with concert reviews and hadn’t started the second review just yet, I decided to allow for this second exception. Don’t try exploiting this route for any further exceptions!

An Outlier Recording?

At the onset to this comparison project I declared that I would only consider complete recordings. And indeed, I only acquired complete recordings of all six Suites. However, as a “byproduct” of seeking for suitable recordings I ran into a CD set “Solo Bach-Abel”, featuring the the French gambist (viola da gamba player) Lucile Boulanger. I have discussed the bulk of that recording in a separate media review, published on 2020-01-02. That recording does not include all of Bach’s Suites. It doesn’t even include one complete Suite. However, it does include selected movements ffrom Bach’s Cello Suites:

  • Allemande from the Suite No.6 in D major, BWV 1012 (review planned)
  • Courante from the Suite No.3 in C major, BWV 1009
  • Sarabande from the Suite No.6 in D major, BWV 1012 (review planned)
  • Gavottes I/II from the Suite No.6 in D major, BWV 1012 (review planned)

I have briefly discussed these movements in the posting I referred to and even compared it to the two complete viola da gamba interpretations that are part of this comparison (Paolo Pandolfo, Myriam Rignol). I don’t want to duplicate my remarks in that earlier posting. However, I though that tor the sake of completeness it might be interesting to include the essence of my findings for that movement from that earlier posting in a format that matches that of this comparison. See the relevant section above.

A Very Late Addition

With the amount of time it takes me to complete this project, I inevitably see more, interesting recordings appear on the market. Normally I will add these to the sections below. That’s unfortunate, but also a necessity, given the complexity of the project and the effort to “retrofit” the comparison with a new recording. However, after the completion of the post on the Suite No.3 in C major, BWV 1009, where Jean-Guihen Queyras (*1967) received a top rating (with his recording from 2007), this artist released his second recording from 2023. It seemed odd to continue recommending the earlier recording. So (and of course out of curiosity) I decided to add the new recording in the middle of the project.

Since I don’t want to delay the continuation of the comparison any further, I will integrate the new recording into the posts for Suites Nos.4 – 6. If time permits, I will add it to the comparisons on the first three suites in the future, see above.

Omissions — Unavoidable, Accidental, or Deliberate / Intentional

Given the 415 (full and partial) albums on IDAGIO (just to pick one site / collection, looked up 2023-10), there are obviously gaping “holes” / omissions in all areas. The vast majority of these omissions are simply because there are just too many recordings out there.

In the cases where I sampled a recording and then omitted it, I’m adding a short explanation to the lists below (from my sketchy scribblings while previewing). Note that most omissions are also a matter of personal preference. These dismissals can’t be viewed as being nearly as well-founded as the ratings in the actual comparison—take it as “sketchy, and just my personal, first impression”.

I refrain from further comments for recordings that I have not sampled. Clearly, the mentions of omitted recordings below are not endorsements. Partial recordings (e.g., just one Suite, or single movements) were not considered here.

Classic Recordings by “Cello Legends” (Examples)

Recordings that I checked via IDAGIO:

  • Janos Starker (1924 –2013): very traditional, no agogics, strong vibrato, broad climaxes
  • Rocco Filippini (1943 – 2021): 2013, traditional, vibrato, tempo control (sight rushing)? Articulation control? (currently unavailable, new availability unknown / download only)

Other recordings by “Legends” that I have not investigated:

spacer5

Recordings by Other, Living Artists

Recordings that I checked via IDAGIO:

  • Yo-Yo Ma (*1955, see also Wikipedia): legato, vibrato, flat, pure sound esthetics, little, if any agogics (several recordings).
  • Paolo Beschi (*1953): 1996, sporty spiccato articulation (1007/I), lacking agogics & Klangrede; broad phrases, however rather personal (articulation), very diverse, controversial (?); musical breathing? Often rest- and breathless.
  • Mischa Maisky (*1948): 1999 recording currently unavailable or $$$$—strong vibrato, traditional / virtuosic-elegant.
  • Richard Tunnicliffe: 2012, static, lacks agogics, phrasing absent.
  • Inbal Segev (see also Wikipedia): 2015, “big cello”, traditional, prominent vibrato, static, bulky sound, broad articulation.
  • Alisa Weilerstein (*1982, see also Wikipedia): 2019, belly notes, irregularities in flow, lacks rhythmic swaying, some arbitrary accents, I disliked the articulation.
  • Alban Gerhardt (*1969, see also Wikipedia): 2019, frequent staccato-like articulation; vibrato; not bad at all (no IDAGIO / Spotify available; just previews at Presto Classical).
  • Gaetano Simone: 2022 recording—not convincing enough.

Other recordings that I have not looked into:

Regrettably, also some HIP recording fell through the cracks:

Concert Performances

I have witnessed various concert performances of Bach’s Suites for Cello Solo. In the comparison, I may refer to such performances. However, these experiences (or the respective reviews) have not been taken into consideration here.

Reviews from Concerts

Below, you find links to the relevant concert reviews. Keep in mind that judgement / impressions / ratings are not compatible with those from media reviews.

A Personal CD Wish List…

Anastasia Kobekina

After her Concert on 2021-04-25, I wished the amazing Russian artist Anastasia Kobekina had recorded her performance of Bach’s Suites. Such a recording would certainly fare well in this comparison. However, at least, I have described my live impressions in the concert review. Also, her interpretation is of course still growing / evolving.

Anastasia Kobekina is not alone, of course: as mentioned, it would be pointless to try covering a representative share of the artists at the height of their career who recorded the Bach Suites. To some degree, I tried focusing on the younger generation, as they are the ones who will eventually succeed today’s favorites on the concert stages. Anastasia Kobekina is one of those artists, whose career is skyrocketing now, and she has proven in concert that she can deliver a convincing interpretation already.

Amarilis Dueñas Castán

Another, even younger artist who recently caught my attention is the Spanish cellist and gambist Amarilis Dueñas Castán (*1998). I sense that her career is on the verge of “taking off” internationally. She mentioned studying the Bach Suites. However, I doubt that so far she has performed them publicly in their entirety. A recording of the Cello Suites (on cello or on the viola da gamba) still requires some maturing (from the snippets that I heard) and is undoubtedly still several years out. Nevertheless, she is an artist that is worth keeping an eye on.

There are many, many more promising artists with the potential to reach the “top of scale”: more than a single reviewer / listener can possibly cover in reasonable depth.

Recording at the “Right” Time

Of course, artists should never feel pressured to record. Rather, they do so only when they feel that their interpretation is “complete and ready”, and valid (in their own minds) for at least the next few years.

In that vein: the young Swiss cellist and composer Christoph Croisé (*1993), whom I have met and about whom I have written several reviews, has of course not ignored Bach’s Cello Suites. I received a suggestion to include the two YouTube videos of Suite No.3 in C major, BWV 1009, and of Suite No.4 in E♭ major, BWV 1010 (recorded in 2022 on a baroque cello) in my comparison. I declined this suggestion, for reasons explained in previous posts—mainly

  • Limited audio quality
  • The two recordings are obviously typical Youtube presentation videos. As such, they have been carefully and diligently made. However, they cannot be compared to typical CD recordings that have been scrutinized and refined with the help of an artistic/recording director..
  • And, frankly, I believe that if Christoph Croisé felt that his interpretation was ready to compete with the myriad of existing recordings, he would probably have made a “proper” recording of the complete set. At this point, I think it would be unjust and unfair (and to the artist’s detriment) to include these videos.

An External Resource: “bachcellosuites.co.uk”

Recently (October 2024, when I had posted comparison reviews for Suites No.1 – No.3), Charles Pidsley, a blogger from the United Kingdom contacted me about my comparison posts on Bach’s Cello Suites. It turns out that together with a colleague, Mark Siner, Charles Pidsley is curating a Website that is entirely devoted to recordings of Bach’s Cello Suites: bachcellosuites.co.uk

About the Authors

Mark Siner is a music enthusiast with “a lifelong passion for listening to music of all genres”. After an early retirement a few years ago, he now funnels his enthusiasm for music. He listens to CDs using high quality audio equipment.

Charles Pidsley describes himself as a “keen amateur cello player” with some experience with playing the Bach Suites, particularly Nos.1 – 3. Charles also has “a keen interest in sound reproduction” and is listening to CDs and LPs (vinyl recordings) using high quality audio equipment.

A Look at the Site

As the name of the site suggests, “bachcellosuites” is devoted to exactly the same subject as this current review, and as this comparison, it only considers complete recordings of all the six suites. Apart from this basic fact, there are major differences between my blog and their site. It starts with the fact that—as explained in detail above—I carefully and deliberately select a limited set of recordings to review. “bachcellosuites”, however,

  • features a list of all complete recordings in the entire recording history that the authors could locate (currently close to 280 recordings);
  • within this long list, the authors select recordings to review—discussing recordings individually, not in a strict comparison, not necessarily suite by suite (let alone movement by movement). Such reviews—typically 500 – 2000 words—may of course include comparison aspects, but mainly discuss one recording.

The site is growing gradually and organically—not sure if the authors intend to cover all recordings in their comprehensive list. The set of recordings reviewed (with a variable amount of detail / depth) currently includes over 120 entries.

A Quick Comment

I have not studied the “bachcellosuites” site in detail, as I want to avoid external influence / bias. Therefore, I won’t comment on their reviews / content. The site is built with WordPress. I like the fact that their reviews are split into one review per post / page, which avoids the huge page size of my comparison reviews. Technically, the site uses simple means: very few images (mostly just the CD covers), no fancy layout. Some pages deserve an overhaul (e.g., the page “List by year of release”) and the response of the site is somewhat slow. What counts, however, is the content, i.e., the text of the reviews.

Despite its limitations, the “bachcellosuites” site offers a way to find recordings of the complete set of cello suites. With this focus, it may be easier to use than browsing on-line catalogs (such as Amazon) or streaming sites (such as IDAGIO or Spotify), where complete recordings are intermingled with partial ones (single suites, or even individual movements).

(added 2024-11-10)

Acknowledgements

The author would like to express his gratitude to:

Rolf Kyburz (2024-05-02, © Rolf Kyburz, all rights reserved)
by Rolf Kyburz

About | Impressum, Legal | Site Policy | Testimonials | Acknowledgements | Blog Timeline
WordPress Setup | Typography, Conventions | External Resources | Metrics/Tables/Pictures

1 thought on “Bach: The 6 Suites for Cello Solo — Comparison Summary”

  1. Pingback: Lucile Boulanger — "Solo Bach – Abel" (Diary 2024-01-02) | Rolf's Music Blog

Feel free to comment — feedback is welcome!