Bach Cello suites suggestions?

[jkotsonas]

Howdy,
First time poster here...

A long time ago, a friend gave me a cassette w/ some of the cello suites on it. He didn't put any other info on it other than "Cello Suites".

I happened to dig it out and was listening to it, and decided I need a "proper" copy of this.

Of course, there appear to be quite a number of options, and not really being anywhere close to an expert on this, I'm kinda lost on a good place to start.

I went to the Allmusic sight and they recommend (among others):

- Bach: Cello Suites 1-6 - Mstislav Rostropovich on EMI classics or...
- Pablo Casals Collection (Vol. 2) - JS Bach: The 6 Cello Suites on Grammofono

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone out there might have some suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Jim

[Brendan]

Casals remastered on the Naxos label.
Fournier
Bylsma's second recording of the suites.

[Peter Schenkman]

Fournier, Tortelier and Shafran would be my first picks but that changes from time to time. As the first to record the suites Casals still holds up remarkably well.

Peter Schenkman

[Brendan]

Peter,

Just a personal opinion, but the Naxos remastering of Casals is revelatory. As one of the great cellists and artists he stands out, and I find my other 9 or so sets of the Suites need to go to a second-hand store. I'll keep Fournier and Bylsma but ditch the rest. Why listen to them when I have Casals remastered?

[dirkronk]

Guess I'll be the oddwad here. I like Starker in these. His Mercury set first convinced me of the music's greatness...have those on LP and I listen to them often, and with real pleasure. His EMI set doesn't have quite the raw gutsiness of the Mercury, but I like it as well. I do keep one LP of the Fournier set, to experience the music with utter refinement, and have the remastered Casals on CD as well. But if I had to choose one set? Starker/Mercury.

Cheers,

Dirk

[Peter Schenkman]

Guess I'll be the oddwad here. I like Starker in these. His Mercury set first convinced me of the music's greatness...have those on LP and I listen to them often, and with real pleasure. His EMI set doesn't have quite the raw gutsiness of the Mercury, but I like it as well. I do keep one LP of the Fournier set, to experience the music with utter refinement, and have the remastered Casals on CD as well. But if I had to choose one set? Starker/Mercury.

Cheers,

Dirk

Starker’s renditions of the suites I have a great deal of respect for. He recorded them 4 and 2/3 times. On LP for the Period label numbers 1, 3, 4 and 6, these have never surfaced on CD. The EMI set from the late 1950’s actually predates his outing for the Mercury label (1963). In the mid 1970’s he recorded the cycle for the Calgary based Sefel label and finally for RCA/BMG in the early 1990’s.

Peter Schenkman

[jkotsonas]

Thanks everyone! Really appreciate the replies/info.

Seeing as how the Casals on Naxos got mentioned a couple of
times very positively right off the bat, I pulled the trigger on
one I managed to find on Amazon.

That sorta brings a "part 2" to this question - is there a preferred online site that folk here tend to use?

I found this site: ArkivMusic, but they didn't have the Casals version.

Thanks again!

- Jim

[val]

Pablo Casals is to me the absolute reference.

But, in a more modern perspective, I would chose Anner Bijlsma.

[Gary]

Val,

Actually, the last name is spelled "Bylsma".

I have a recording of him playing music by Auguste Joseph Franchomme, a dear friend of Chopin. I'm no expert on cello playing, but I think his playing style is unique in that he seems to do weird slides, or maybe it's just that he sustains a note longer than is required. Did you notice this in his other recordings? Of course, it could very well be that I don't know what I'm talking about.

[gfweis]

Thanks everyone! Really appreciate the replies/info.

Seeing as how the Casals on Naxos got mentioned a couple of
times very positively right off the bat, I pulled the trigger on
one I managed to find on Amazon.

That sorta brings a "part 2" to this question - is there a preferred online site that folk here tend to use?

I found this site: ArkivMusic, but they didn't have the Casals version.

Thanks again!

- Jim

Jim, I'm sure you will enjoy the Casals. If you go for a second set of the Suites someday (keeping in mind that the Casals is in some respects idiosyncratic), I'd add my recommendation to others on the Fournier and Starker (his RCA being my favorite). Also, there's a wonderful recording, now available 2-for-1, by Ralph Kirschbaum on Virgin. And the Ma set on Sony is intensely musical, and technically unsurpassed, in my experience. If right now I had to take one from the burning house, it would be the Starker.

On your second question, always take a look at MDT in England (www.mdt.co.uk). They have excellent prices and their shipping (.75 pounds per cd or slimline double) is exceptionally fair. Often one can obtain cds from MDT for less than one can from anywhere else. Strangely, even domestic U.S. labels are cheaper there; e.g., Music & Arts cds are usually treated as mid-priced.

[lmpower]

How does Rostropovitch interpretation of Bach rate?

[Brendan]

I bought the Rostropovich set on the basis of his work in so many pieces over the years. Huge disappointment. I've tried a few times, but find the set unlistenable when I can reach for Casals, Fournier and Bylsma with ease.

[premont]

Ralph Kirschbaum´s (Virgin) set is the most beautiful I have heard.
Wieland Kuijken´s (Arcana) the most reflective.
Peter Wispelway´s (Channel Classics) the most brilliant.
Antonio Meneses´ the most Apollonic, more so than Fournier´s.
Jaap ter Linden´s (French Harm.Mundi)the most dancing.
Hidemi Suzuki´s (German Harm.Mundi) the most stiff.

[jkotsonas]

I bought the Rostropovich set on the basis of his work in so many pieces over the years. Huge disappointment. I've tried a few times, but find the set unlistenable when I can reach for Casals, Fournier and Bylsma with ease.

Funny. That one was being heavily pushed when I was researching on the Allmusic site. Almost went down that road before stumbling onto this forum and deciding to go for a "second opinion".

Glad I did.

- jim

[jkotsonas]

[quote="gfweis[/quote]

Jim, I'm sure you will enjoy the Casals. If you go for a second set of the Suites someday (keeping in mind that the Casals is in some respects idiosyncratic), I'd add my recommendation to others on the Fournier and Starker (his RCA being my favorite). ... If right now I had to take one from the burning house, it would be the Starker.

On your second question, always take a look at MDT in England (www.mdt.co.uk)...[/quote]
------------------------------

Thanks very much Greg.

Man, quite a few choices to wade through. I'll file away the Starker recommendation and be sure to check that out someday.

Cheers,

Jim

[CharmNewton]

I too find Kirshbaum's recording on Virgin to be exceptional, with first-rate recording and I think it is cheaper than the Casals on Naxos. His playing is direct and often passionate, but not fussy or mannered (like Maisky in his older recording--I haven't heard his new one).

Yo-Yo Ma's first recording for CBS Masterworks (c. 1980) is also exceptional and is better recorded than the set he recorded 10-12 years ago. Very beautiful cello sound, which is one of his hallmarks. It remains full-priced, however.

I also was very disappointed bt the Rostropovich on EMI. This was a much heralded release and collectors had wanted a Rostropovich recording for many years. Until the set was released, it was a mystery why it had taken so long for him to get around to recording them. My impression is that he tries too hard to interpret them--they lack spontaniety and he doesn't sound like he's enjoying himself. Perhaps he was talked into making the recordings or he wanted them as part of his legacy, but the music doesn't communicate well to me, at least on these recordings.

John

[val]

Gary

Actually, the last name is spelled "Bylsma".

Thank's for the correction.

I never noticed the problem you mention. My choice of Bylsma in Bach Suites has more to do with the dynamic, and a more precise characterization of the rhythm. I must say that I have his version in SONY.

[gfweis]

I too find Kirshbaum's recording on Virgin to be exceptional, with first-rate recording and I think it is cheaper than the Casals on Naxos. His playing is direct and often passionate, but not fussy or mannered (like Maisky in his older recording--I haven't heard his new one).

Yo-Yo Ma's first recording for CBS Masterworks (c. 1980) is also exceptional and is better recorded than the set he recorded 10-12 years ago. Very beautiful cello sound, which is one of his hallmarks. It remains full-priced, however.

I also was very disappointed bt the Rostropovich on EMI. This was a much heralded release and collectors had wanted a Rostropovich recording for many years. Until the set was released, it was a mystery why it had taken so long for him to get around to recording them. My impression is that he tries too hard to interpret them--they lack spontaniety and he doesn't sound like he's enjoying himself. Perhaps he was talked into making the recordings or he wanted them as part of his legacy, but the music doesn't communicate well to me, at least on these recordings.

John

I agree with John (and others) on the disappointing Rostropovich, and I agree also about the sound in the Ma Sony box, which is quite variable in acoustic and in miking, perhaps because of being recorded, as I recall, in different venues. I did marginally prefer the later Ma set in musical terms.

[DavidRoss]

FWIW, I most often reach for Fournier. His unaffected approach never fails to satisfy. For variety I usually choose either Tortelier for his "soulfulness" or Wispelwey for the sound of gut.