Title : Bach: The Cello Suites Inspired By Bach, From The Six-Part Film Series / Yo-Yo Ma
Author : Bach, Johann Sebastian
Release Date : 19980217
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $31.98
Amazon.com Price : $23.25
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Editorial Reviews : Though they were long misunderstood as mere technical hurdles, Bach's six suites for unaccompanied cello are among those rare works of music that offer inexhaustible rewards for performer and listener alike. Yo-Yo Ma gave a pathbreaking account of the suites back in the '80s (Suites for Unaccompanied Cello ) but returns to them here impelled by a unique and interdisciplinary approach. For this project, Ma engaged the talents of artists in different fields--ranging from a landscape artist to a Kabuki actor and figure skaters--to produce six short films as a visual correlative for the highly distinctive character of each suite. While the success of the films in illuminating Bach's creativity is decidedly uneven, Ma brings the music itself to life with a searing, quasi-vocal eloquence. His interpretations are probing, characterized by imaginative bowing and attention to the spacious architecture of Bach's score. This is especially clear in Ma's preference for broad, expansive tempos and patient spinning of filigreed detail. True, the generally Romantic cast of his conception can seem overdone and exaggerated in statement, as if Ma is more intent on overlaying his own personality on the discipline of the music. But the prayerful, meditative concentration he brings to the Sarabandes--listen to the single-lined, anguished tone painting in Suite 5--is utterly convincing. There is a sense of profound introspection here, while in the Sarabande of Suite 6 Ma's phrasing suggests we are in the same spiritual terrain as Beethoven's late quartets. Yet there is no lack of blistering energy and extroverted high spirits in some of the more overtly dance-oriented movements. While purists may complain of distortion in these accounts, Ma once again proves he has something vital to say with this music.
Buyer Reviews : If these renditions of the Bach cello suites don't leave you enthralled, I don't know what to do for you. The sound is warm and rich, and occasionally the sound is so full that you wonder whether you're really listening to a single cello. But you are--it is a testament to Ma's artistry that the sound is this full with simply a single instrument. The unaccompanied suites make you realize just what an achievement this is. Alternately lively and langorous, Ma never hits a false note. This is music to work or spend long weekend afternoons reading by--just be prepared to pause for a few minutes to wallow in how beautiful the sound really is.
