Bach: 6 Suiten für Violoncello solo

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Elegance is the quality in Pierre Fournier's playing that makes the first and, ultimately, the most lasting impression. He finds great depth in the suites, but he shows constant awareness that he is playing mostly dance music (usually, and importantly, French dance music), that joy is its most important underlying emotion and that graceful movement and rhythmic fluency are essential. --Joe McLellan

Tracks:

Suite No. 1 In G Major BWV 1007: Prelude
Suite No. 1 In G Major BWV 1007: Allemande
Suite No. 1 In G Major BWV 1007: Courante
Suite No. 1 In G Major BWV 1007: Sarabande
Suite No. 1 In G Major BWV 1007: Menuet 1 - 2
Suite No. 1 In G Major BWV 1007: Gigue
Suite No 2 In D Minor BWV 1008: Prelude
Suite No 2 In D Minor BWV 1008: Allemande
Suite No 2 In D Minor BWV 1008: Courante
Suite No 2 In D Minor BWV 1008: Sarabande
Suite No 2 In D Minor BWV 1008: Menuet 1 - 2
Suite No 2 In D Minor BWV 1008: Gigue
Suite No. 3 In C Major BWV 1009: Prelude
Suite No. 3 In C Major BWV 1009: Allemande
Suite No. 3 In C Major BWV 1009: Courante
Suite No. 3 In C Major BWV 1009: Sarabande
Suite No. 3 In C Major BWV 1009: Bourree 1 - 2
Suite No. 3 In C Major BWV 1009: Gigue

Tracks:

Suiten No. 4 Es-dur Bmv 1010: 1. Prelude
Suiten No. 4 Es-dur Bmv 1010: 2. Allemande
Suiten No. 4 Es-dur Bmv 1010: 3. Courante
Suiten No. 4 Es-dur Bmv 1010: 4. Sarabande
Suiten No. 4 Es-dur Bmv 1010: 5. Bourree 1 - 2
Suiten No. 4 Es-dur Bmv 1010: 6. Gigue
Suite No. 5 c-moll Bmv 1011: 1. Prelude
Suite No. 5 c-moll Bmv 1011: 2. Allemande
Suite No. 5 c-moll Bmv 1011: 3. Courante
Suite No. 5 c-moll Bmv 1011: 4. Sarabande
Suite No. 5 c-moll Bmv 1011: 5. Gavotte 1 - 2
Suite No. 5 c-moll Bmv 1011: 6. Gigue
Suite No. 6 D-dur Bmv 1012: 1. Prelude
Suite No. 6 D-dur Bmv 1012: 2. Allemande
Suite No. 6 D-dur Bmv 1012: 3. Courante
Suite No. 6 D-dur Bmv 1012: 4. Sarabande
Suite No. 6 D-dur Bmv 1012: 5. Gavotte 1 - 2
Suite No. 6 D-dur Bmv 1012: 6. Gigue

Amazon.com

Elegance is the quality in Pierre Fournier's playing that makes the first and, ultimately, the most lasting impression. He finds great depth in the suites, but he shows constant awareness that he is playing mostly dance music (usually, and importantly, French dance music), that joy is its most important underlying emotion and that graceful movement and rhythmic fluency are essential. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Fournier Cello Suites.......2007-01-25

I love the way Fournier played. I had recordings of other pieces played by him, but hadn't thought to listen to the Bach Suites. I'm glad I ordered this product!

Sublime.......2006-12-17

There aren't words to describe how beautiful these recordings are. The virtuosity of Fournier coupled with the majesty of Bach's suites are transformative and not to missed.

Definitive performances!.......2006-11-07

The captivating sound, enriched lyricism and profound musicality of Pierre Fournier was always his quotidian landmark. All of us who have his famous Beethoven piano trios with Kempff and Szerying have realized his profound commitment and passion for the instrument.

And the whole result of these definitive Suites for cello could not be more fortunate. If I was required for the one hundred best performances of the XX Century, this recording should be included in most of lists.

A legendary album that for any reason must absent of your valued personal collection.

Unparallelled Bach.......2006-10-10

Fournier uses a rare circa-1722 Venetian Matteo Goffriler Cello for these recordings; hence their distinctive timbre which is without parallel in the Bach solo cello suites discography. Fournier's choice of instrument is vital in that Bach wrote these pieces between 1717 and 1723, while Kappelmeister in Kothen. This instrument, combined with Fournier's tasteful period-influenced lack of excessive vibrato may be the reason behind some of the less-than-positive reactions here. Incidentally, that Fournier's performance is still the benchmarck for the repertory is evidenced by the fact that the original LPs featuring 2 suites apiece easily sell for a good deal more than the entire CD set as priced here. For those who prefer ahistorical histrionics, by all means go with Yo Yo. For those who would actually like to have a distinct notion of how these pieces must have sounded to Bach's contemporaries, I suggest the great Fournier.

Lifeless.......2006-07-13

There are far too many excuses made for interpretations of classical music in general but particularly for the music of J.S. Bach. The cello suites are perhaps the best work of Bach's to illustrate this as this incredibly over-rated recording does. What makes this music timeless is not that it is beautiful without any expression on the part of the performer or that it contains some dry charm that suggests a "refined" and "intellectual" approach. That the music itself contains little in the way of expression marks should not tell the performer to play without any interpretation, feeling, nuance, insight, or most importantly the quality of expanse. Calling a performance of Bach's music refined, elegant, or understated should be an insult not a compliment. The music is already elegant, refined, and understated thus implying the performer has imparted nothing. The performer's job is not to perform the music exactly as it is written, the performer does not work for the composer nor would the composer wish this. If performing a piece of music is as easy as playing what is on the page then just leave it to computers as they can play soullessly and exactly as the sheet appears. Period performance of Bach's music is even worse than this as we are forced to listen to horrible tone, dreadful intonation, and lifeless performances that need far too many excuses made for them. I'm sorry but performances as revered as this recording need so much more to be considered a standard/definitive interpretation. Adding a tiny rubato at the top and bottom of phrases and playing straight through the rest of the notes is not interpretation. Understatement can have a wonderful effect in performance, there is however a difference between understatement and playing flat. This recording features mechanical playing, lackluster interpretation, and disgustingly shrill tone. Music does not exist so we can play it the way we think it was once performed centuries ago or as it appears on the sheet. Music like this is bound by the means we have of showing it to others in a notational language. This music is not timeless because of some dry charm or elegance, it is timeless because of what it can suggest to the performer as it has to Pablo Casals, Rostropovich, Yo Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, and most recently Matt Haimovitz. Ask Peter Philips of the Tallis Scholars and he will tell you the same thing. Rather than focus on what so called "scholars" have determined is the proper way for a composer's music to sound, the performer should instead focus on creating wonderful music, "period practice" be damned, using their own judgement and hopefully well-trained ear to determine their performance. Their is just so much more to be had in the performances mentioned above that this recording really needs to be forgotten.

Bach: Suiten Für Violoncello (Suites (6) For Solo Cello)

Average customer rating:

Bach: Suiten Für Violoncello (Suites (6) For Solo Cello)

Manufacturer: Opus 111
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005W59
Release Date: 1997-10-14

Amazon.com

Principal cellist of the Dresden Staatskapelle, Peter Bruns plays a 1730 vintage Tononi that once belonged to Casals. In some respects, Bruns's rhythmic freedom and expressive fervor mirror Casals's "play Bach like Brahms" mindset. He also gives Casals's vocal grunts and grimaces a run for their money. Every so often Bruns's astounding facility gets the better of him, especially in introspective movements where his agogic tinkerings rupture continuity, and also in protruding accents elsewhere. Still, the playing is never less than interesting, and gorgeously recorded too. --Jed Distler

Average customer rating:

Bach: Sechs Suiten für Violoncello solo
Juergen Happe
Manufacturer: Classic Concert Records / Balcon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000B2WJZ6
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Tracks: