Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
|
Disc 1:
Disc 2:
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is one of the best performances of Bach's solo cello suites I have heard. I have other recordings by Jaap Ter Linden and Pieter Wispelwey (equally fine) but I think this recording stands out. I'm not a cello player but Jean Guihen Queyras's performance to me appears to strike the right balance between correct tempo and clear phrasing. The recorded sound is superb, wonderfully warm; not too close with just enough ambience of the recording venue - a church in Sulzburg.
Queyras uses a 1696 Gioffredo Cappa cello, with a modern non-baroque set up, for all six suites and doesn't use a six string piccolo cello in the sixth.
The double CD set also comes with a bonus DVD, which includes a full performance of the third suite and a short film about the making of the recording.
In summary, a performance to treasure for many years listening pleasure. Highly recommended.
Queyras uses a 1696 Gioffredo Cappa cello, with a modern non-baroque set up, for all six suites and doesn't use a six string piccolo cello in the sixth.
The double CD set also comes with a bonus DVD, which includes a full performance of the third suite and a short film about the making of the recording.
In summary, a performance to treasure for many years listening pleasure. Highly recommended.
3 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Allievo di Anner Bylsma, da cui è stato introdotto alla prassi esecutiva filologica con strumenti d'epoca, Queyras è anche un frequentatore del repertorio contemporaneo, in cui si è cimentato collaborando, per esempio, con Pierre Boulez. Si potrebbe dire che questo cd rappresenti la sperimentazione di un interessante incrocio tra questi due ambiti della sua attività artistica. Qui utilizza un violoncello di Goffredo Cappa (fine Seicento) con corde e montatura moderna. In luogo del suono più aspro e incisivo delle corde di budello si avverte una sonorità più corposa e rotonda. La scelta deriva da una precedente esperienza in cui Queyras ha affidato a compositori contemporanei la composizione di un preludio a ciascuna delle sei partite bachiane per violoncello - preludi al preludio che dovevano essere seguiti dall'esecuzione delle partite stesse -. Sulla scia di questa esperienza, che metteva in dialogo la musica di Bach e quella contemporanea, è nata questa incisione. Chi, come il sottoscritto, ama ascoltare la musica di Bach affidata a strumenti d'epoca, potrebbe restare di primo acchito un po' perplesso. Ma si tratta di di una perplessità transitoria. Queyras suona con rigore, sicurezza e tecnica straordinaria. La registrazione è di altissimo livello e permette di gustare la splendida qualità del suono e il magico effetto del riverbero.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
14 reviews
44 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Excellent 'step-springing' period Bach Cello Suites
12 July 2008
Format:Audio CD
This was played for me in my local classical CD store and that was it: I was hooked. When I then saw it in my local high-street national chain on sale at a ridiculous price I walked off with it like a kid at Christmas. Everyone who has heard the opening strains has said "That's fast", to which I have singularly replied "Yep - great isn't it?". And they have all remembered I'm a period enlightenment nut, and gone "Of course".
It has everything to recommend it, this recording, from exquisite technique and musicianship, to ear-pricking boldness, gusto and courage, to a wonderful space around the recording that gives an atmosphere of elegance without being austere, reserved or removed. This could at once be in a great hall of kings, or in a little front room of a village cottage. Either which way, it really fills the room with a presence and spritely-ness that commands attention and bestows a great big smile.
Queyras' recording had the misfortune to emerge at the same time as, and therefore under the blanket approval of, the admittedly great Steven Isserlis recording (yes, I love that one too). For that Isserlis set there was much media interest in how Isserlis had held off the Bach, made/waited himself ready, studied the pieces carefully, and identified (amazingly sombrely, given his findings) the dance rhythms and elements as the core of the works. (Doubtless this was highlighted because the record company / artist probably pushed it that way as a way of establishing an originality to justify another Cello Suites, as if any talented professional cellist needs the "contributing something new" clause or excuse to attempt on disc what is the pinnacle of their instrument's existence!!!) Isserlis' / Hyperion's recording certainly illuminates those dance rhythms, performing them rhythmically and excitingly, musically more alive than the sombre verbal/written annunciations of their presence was. However, Queyras / Harmonia Mundi offer(ed) no such reasoning for the recording's existence, and yet the dance rhythms are definitely their, perhaps even more so than with Isserlis. This recording is very much alive with them, and to them, and it resonates with a realness as a result. It's a dancing with a certain gentility, nothing raucous or base about it, but with a likeable robustness and positive forwardness that inspires both confidence in the artist's ability and consideration, and a reflection on the life and purpose of the pieces, from their gestation to their present incarnations.
Just as I was beginning to despair for great readings of Bach's Cello Suites at present, and had recently delved back to discover the great readings of Pierre Fournier and Janos Starker (and finding I didn't like Rostropovich's rather clumpy and over-bearing fatherly heaviness as much as the reviews and reputations said I should like it), I am absolutely delighted to have two outstanding arrivals in the shape of Isserlis (which I knew would be great) and even more so Queyras (which I knew nothing about), which have reinvigorated my love of these works. I would also put in this echelon of new interpretations worthy of recommendation, those by Anne Gastinel, although I'm not sure how many will be so easily encouraged towards her's as towards Isserlis (easy to encourage towards) or Queyras (hopefully not too hard!). Isserlis uses gut strings and an instrument of appropriate age, and a great amount of "period" technique, attitude and approach, though is not definitively a "period" recording; Queyras is such; and Gastinel is "modern". All are very much worth investigation; all reaffirm the brilliance of Bach, of the pieces, and the existence of cellists capable of surmounting these heights; Queyras might just, for me, have climbed the hardest, fastest and best.
Pass this by at your peril!
It has everything to recommend it, this recording, from exquisite technique and musicianship, to ear-pricking boldness, gusto and courage, to a wonderful space around the recording that gives an atmosphere of elegance without being austere, reserved or removed. This could at once be in a great hall of kings, or in a little front room of a village cottage. Either which way, it really fills the room with a presence and spritely-ness that commands attention and bestows a great big smile.
Queyras' recording had the misfortune to emerge at the same time as, and therefore under the blanket approval of, the admittedly great Steven Isserlis recording (yes, I love that one too). For that Isserlis set there was much media interest in how Isserlis had held off the Bach, made/waited himself ready, studied the pieces carefully, and identified (amazingly sombrely, given his findings) the dance rhythms and elements as the core of the works. (Doubtless this was highlighted because the record company / artist probably pushed it that way as a way of establishing an originality to justify another Cello Suites, as if any talented professional cellist needs the "contributing something new" clause or excuse to attempt on disc what is the pinnacle of their instrument's existence!!!) Isserlis' / Hyperion's recording certainly illuminates those dance rhythms, performing them rhythmically and excitingly, musically more alive than the sombre verbal/written annunciations of their presence was. However, Queyras / Harmonia Mundi offer(ed) no such reasoning for the recording's existence, and yet the dance rhythms are definitely their, perhaps even more so than with Isserlis. This recording is very much alive with them, and to them, and it resonates with a realness as a result. It's a dancing with a certain gentility, nothing raucous or base about it, but with a likeable robustness and positive forwardness that inspires both confidence in the artist's ability and consideration, and a reflection on the life and purpose of the pieces, from their gestation to their present incarnations.
Just as I was beginning to despair for great readings of Bach's Cello Suites at present, and had recently delved back to discover the great readings of Pierre Fournier and Janos Starker (and finding I didn't like Rostropovich's rather clumpy and over-bearing fatherly heaviness as much as the reviews and reputations said I should like it), I am absolutely delighted to have two outstanding arrivals in the shape of Isserlis (which I knew would be great) and even more so Queyras (which I knew nothing about), which have reinvigorated my love of these works. I would also put in this echelon of new interpretations worthy of recommendation, those by Anne Gastinel, although I'm not sure how many will be so easily encouraged towards her's as towards Isserlis (easy to encourage towards) or Queyras (hopefully not too hard!). Isserlis uses gut strings and an instrument of appropriate age, and a great amount of "period" technique, attitude and approach, though is not definitively a "period" recording; Queyras is such; and Gastinel is "modern". All are very much worth investigation; all reaffirm the brilliance of Bach, of the pieces, and the existence of cellists capable of surmounting these heights; Queyras might just, for me, have climbed the hardest, fastest and best.
Pass this by at your peril!
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Exceptional Recording
18 Feb 2009
Format:Audio CD
It's true that these suites have been frequently recorded. But it's with good reason! Bach's work surpasses all others in its capacity to be plumbed, developed and re-imagined and displays unrivaled excellence and elegance on every compositional level. There is so much to be developed and highlighted in these works, a lifetime of performances may only scratch the surface.
It's also true that many have recorded these suites despite having nothing new to say and often possessing less than admirable technical skill, but since Casals they have figured at the heart of the cello repertoire, and every cellist is eager to conquer them. Each suite is difficult in it's own way, and the fifth and sixth suites are rather notorious for their formidable technical hurdles. It's rare to hear an individual who exhibits a true mastery over any given suite, much less the whole set.
Queyras is that rare individual. And not only does he execute the technical demands of these suites with astonishing perfection and grace, but his interpretation brings something totally new to the table. He discusses in the liner notes a sense of phrasing which--respecting the contrapuntal nature of these works--treats melodic lines less like vocal song and more like spoken conversation. He executes them this way, deftly shifting his coloring of each phrase to bring out oft-hidden exchanges between voices to a startling and extremely pleasing effect.
Queyras infuses each suite with an individual character by giving to each one a unique set of timbrel colors. I can't say I've ever encountered such an approach in other recordings, but at the same time, I don't think I've encountered another cellist able to draw so many different types of tone colors. Some of this may be attributed to a unusually rich-sounding cello (it possesses an extremely rich bottom end that literally growls in the scordatura tuning of the fifth suite) along with an exceptionally expressive and controlled bow technique. He even ornaments beautifully!
This is an unusually tremendous set of recordings, both technically and musically. Whether you like his interpretation or not, one cannot argue but that each note has been meticulously considered and that his technical skill is second to none. This is a set that belongs in everyone's library.
It's also true that many have recorded these suites despite having nothing new to say and often possessing less than admirable technical skill, but since Casals they have figured at the heart of the cello repertoire, and every cellist is eager to conquer them. Each suite is difficult in it's own way, and the fifth and sixth suites are rather notorious for their formidable technical hurdles. It's rare to hear an individual who exhibits a true mastery over any given suite, much less the whole set.
Queyras is that rare individual. And not only does he execute the technical demands of these suites with astonishing perfection and grace, but his interpretation brings something totally new to the table. He discusses in the liner notes a sense of phrasing which--respecting the contrapuntal nature of these works--treats melodic lines less like vocal song and more like spoken conversation. He executes them this way, deftly shifting his coloring of each phrase to bring out oft-hidden exchanges between voices to a startling and extremely pleasing effect.
Queyras infuses each suite with an individual character by giving to each one a unique set of timbrel colors. I can't say I've ever encountered such an approach in other recordings, but at the same time, I don't think I've encountered another cellist able to draw so many different types of tone colors. Some of this may be attributed to a unusually rich-sounding cello (it possesses an extremely rich bottom end that literally growls in the scordatura tuning of the fifth suite) along with an exceptionally expressive and controlled bow technique. He even ornaments beautifully!
This is an unusually tremendous set of recordings, both technically and musically. Whether you like his interpretation or not, one cannot argue but that each note has been meticulously considered and that his technical skill is second to none. This is a set that belongs in everyone's library.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
One Could Spend a Lifetime ...
24 Sep 2009
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
... listening to the six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach, and if you're a cellist you'll very likely spend much of your lifetime playing them. At one time or another, I've heard most of the better-known recordings of them - Casals, Fournier, Rostropovitch, Ma, and other 'modern' cellists; Bylsma, Wispelwey, Isserlis among the baroque cellists. For the moment, I have two favorite performances and I refuse to choose between them: the recording by Ophelie Gaillard which I reviewed a few weeks ago and this recording by Jean-Guihen Queyras. Both performances are are "historically informed' interpretations, at least in bowing technique and rhythmic sensibilities..
Jean-Guihen Queyras has such magnificent technique that one is tempted to place a crown of hyperbole on his brow and declare him the 'greatest living cellist.' He's astonishingly polished on both modern and baroque cello; he brings the conservatory mastery of the former to the latter, and the HIP musicality of the latter to the former. His recordings include not only the Bach suites but also the two Haydn concertos, the Schubert 'Arpeggione' Sonata for Cello and Piano along with works by Berb and Webern, and the Dvorak Concerto and the Dumka Trios. Every one of these performances is at or near the apex of brilliance.
It's Queyras's virtuosity - his flawless tuning, his effortless fingering, his magnificent control of timbre - that make these cello suites vivid. Queyras never over-interprets; in any repertoire, he liberates the notes of music to sing their own song. The cello he plays here has an exceptionally balanced and mellow timbre, and the recording quality is superb. The 'competition' these days is down to two: Queyras and Ophelie Gaillard, whose interpretation of the suites is more gutsy and darker but almost equally virtuosic. I have one clear preference, for Gaillard's complex, compelling performance of Suite #6 on her five-string cello piccolo with gut strings. Otherwise, I'm totally, thoroughly, irreversibly convinced by whichever of the two I'm hearing at the moment.
Jean-Guihen Queyras has such magnificent technique that one is tempted to place a crown of hyperbole on his brow and declare him the 'greatest living cellist.' He's astonishingly polished on both modern and baroque cello; he brings the conservatory mastery of the former to the latter, and the HIP musicality of the latter to the former. His recordings include not only the Bach suites but also the two Haydn concertos, the Schubert 'Arpeggione' Sonata for Cello and Piano along with works by Berb and Webern, and the Dvorak Concerto and the Dumka Trios. Every one of these performances is at or near the apex of brilliance.
It's Queyras's virtuosity - his flawless tuning, his effortless fingering, his magnificent control of timbre - that make these cello suites vivid. Queyras never over-interprets; in any repertoire, he liberates the notes of music to sing their own song. The cello he plays here has an exceptionally balanced and mellow timbre, and the recording quality is superb. The 'competition' these days is down to two: Queyras and Ophelie Gaillard, whose interpretation of the suites is more gutsy and darker but almost equally virtuosic. I have one clear preference, for Gaillard's complex, compelling performance of Suite #6 on her five-string cello piccolo with gut strings. Otherwise, I'm totally, thoroughly, irreversibly convinced by whichever of the two I'm hearing at the moment.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
