Bach: 6 Suites for Cello Solo / Matt Haimovitz

Editorial Reviews
Advocate Newspapers, November 16, 2000
With this release, Haimovitz joins the masters. His interpretation is grittier, more deeply expressive and nuanced than Ma, for instance.

Sunday Republican, November 19, 2000
These recordings embrace the listener. Phrases dance and sparkle, individual pitches bloom, lines are imbued with a fullbodied, enduring quality.

Album Description
Oxingale Records releases cellist Matt Haimovitz’ new recording: 6 Suites for Cello Solo by J. S. Bach. Complete on three compact discs, this vibrantly original, yet historically sensitive rendition of the beloved cello suites is accompanied by a 24-page booklet featuring musical commentary on each suite and 15 black and white photographs.

With this recording, Israeli-born Matt Haimovitz makes his first appearance on Oxingale Records. Previously, his six acclaimed recordings on the Deutsche Grammophon label received praise for their deep expressiveness, interpretive insight, flawless technique and burnished tone. His recording, Suites and Sonatas for Solo Cello, was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque (1991) and le Diapason d’Or (1991). Of his debut 1989 recording, Saint-Saens, Bruch, and Lalo with James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Gramaphone Magazine wrote, "this recording heralds the arrival of a new star in the cello firmament." For GRP Records Matt Haimovitz also recorded two improvisations with jazz bassist Rob Wasserman for the album, Trios, which features Jerry Garcia and Branford Marsalis, among others.

Matt Haimovitz’ 6 Suites for Cello Solo by J. S. Bach, complete on three compact discs, was recorded in the Plainfield Congregational Church in Plainfield, Mass. In his program note Haimovitz writes: "the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death on July 28th, 2000 inspired the schedule of the recording sessions – July 10 to 13 and August 6 to 7 of that year. I found the sanctuary of Plainfield’s historic hilltown church to be an ideal ambiance that both nurtured the ‘cello’s natural tone and allowed space for the sound to be sculpted." The recording was produced by Luna Pearl Woolf, who, as a composer herself, brought her insight into the compositional process to the production. Engineering was provided by Mark Thayer, whose 20 years of experience recording classical, jazz and acoustic folk music brings a warmth and intimacy to the final sound. The album was mastered by David Glasser, who has mastered 45 Grammy-nominated records and received a Grammy for mastering and restoration of the critically acclaimed "Anthology of American Folk Music."

Bach: 6 Suites for Cello Solo / Matt Haimovitz

Bach: 6 Suites for Cello Solo / Matt Haimovitz, Music, Matt Haimovitz, Johann Sebastian Bach, Cello Solo, Chamber, Groundbreaking, intimate performances featured on PRI's "The World" & NPR, in The New Yorker, Billboard, Wall Street Journal, L.A. Times, U.S. News, nominated for an INDIE Award, winner of Just Plain Folks Award 2001
J. S. Bach: 6 Suites for Cello Solo
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Outstanding.
 J. S. Bach: 6 Suites for Cello Solo

Manufacturer: Oxingale Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by J.S. BachAll Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
CelloCello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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  3. Matt Haimovitz - Mozart The Mason
  4. The 20th-Century Cello

ASIN: B00005Y8G0
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

  1. Ste I in G, BWV 1007: Prld
  2. Ste I in G, BWV 1007: Allemande
  3. Ste I in G, BWV 1007: Courante
  4. Ste I in G, BWV 1007: Sarabande
  5. Ste I in G, BWV 1007: Menuet I & II
  6. Ste I in G, BWV 1007: Gigue
  7. Ste II in d, BWV 1008: Prld
  8. Ste II in d, BWV 1008: Allemande
  9. Ste II in d, BWV 1008: Courante
  10. Ste II in d, BWV 1008: Sarabande
  11. Ste II in d, BWV 1008: Menuet I & II
  12. Ste II in d, BWV 1008: Gigue

Tracks:

  1. Ste III in C, BWV 1009: Prld
  2. Ste III in C, BWV 1009: Allemande
  3. Ste III in C, BWV 1009: Courante
  4. Ste III in C, BWV 1009: Sarabande
  5. Ste III in C, BWV 1009: Bourree I & II
  6. Ste III in C, BWV 1009: Gigue
  7. Ste IV in E flat, BWV 1010: Prld
  8. Ste IV in E flat, BWV 1010: Allemande
  9. Ste IV in E flat, BWV 1010: Courante
  10. Ste IV in E flat, BWV 1010: Sarabande
  11. Ste IV in E flat, BWV 1010: Bourree I & II
  12. Ste IV in E flat, BWV 1010: Gigue

Tracks:

  1. Ste V in c, BWV 1011: Prld
  2. Ste V in c, BWV 1011: Allemande
  3. Ste V in c, BWV 1011: Courante
  4. Ste V in c, BWV 1011: Sarabande
  5. Ste V in c, BWV 1011: Gavotte I & II
  6. Ste V in c, BWV 1011: Gigue
  7. Ste VI in D, BWV 1012: Prld
  8. Ste VI in D, BWV 1012: Allemande
  9. Ste VI in D, BWV 1012: Courante
  10. Ste VI in D, BWV 1012: Sarabande
  11. Ste VI in D, BWV 1012: Gavotte I & II
  12. Ste VI in D, BWV 1012: Gigue

Album Description

OXINGALE RECORDS' debut release has been honored with a nomination from the AFIM for the INDIE AWARD for BEST SOLO CLASSICAL RECORDING OF 2001. On November 17, 2001 the album was the winner of a Just Plain Folks Award for BEST SOLO CLASSICAL RECORDING of 2001.

Featured in Billboard, and a TOP PICK in U. S. News and World Report, MATT HAIMOVITZ's J. S. Bach: 6 Suites for Cello Solo, complete on three compact discs, is the latest recording from this internationally acclaimed artist. The set is accompanied by a 24-page booklet featuring musical commentary on each suite and 15 black and white photographs.

Matt Haimovitz' 6 Suites for Cello Solo by J. S. Bach was recorded in the Plainfield Congregational Church in Plainfield, Mass. In his program note Haimovitz writes: "the 250th anniversary of Bach's death on July 28th, 2000 inspired the schedule of the recording sessions - July 10 to 13 and August 6 to 7 of that year. I found the sanctuary of Plainfield's historic hilltown church to be an ideal ambiance that both nurtured the `cello's natural tone and allowed space for the sound to be sculpted." The recording was produced by Luna Pearl Woolf, who, as a composer herself, brought her insight into the compositional process to the production. Engineering was provided by Mark Thayer, whose 20 years of experience recording classical, jazz and acoustic folk music brings a warmth and intimacy to the final sound. The album was mastered by David Glasser, who has mastered 45 Grammy-nominated records and received a Grammy for mastering and restoration of the critically acclaimed "Anthology of American Folk Music."

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Outstanding........2006-08-15

These CDs are a favorite of my classical collection. Haimovitz's tone is clear, warm, and beautifully recorded, and I found his interpretation to be very emotional and expressive but still energetic. He does some very adventurous things in his interpretation that may be frowned upon by a Bach "purist", but none of them are outside the realm of good taste in my opinion- Haimovitz has a very good ear. I recommend this CD often to those looking for the Bach Suites: this collection stands up to the best that I have heard, those being the Fournier, Tortelier, and Starker, all of which are routinely touted as the definitive versions. Certainly nothing against those recordings in the slightest, on the contrary I think one needs them all, but this Haimovitz takes its place at the top of my list of recent digital readings. It makes a great addition to any collection, and is also an interesting alternative to the aformentioned.

As an added bonus, the CDs are mastered in 24 bit HDCD format for the audiophile who has the stereo gear to take advantage of this technology- but also play normally on regular CD players.
Bach: 6 Suites for Cello Solo / Matt Haimovitz
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Period performance need not apply
  • stop mixing contexts...
  • Haimovitz Attacks
  • A Fine Pizz of Work
  • Fine recording of some of the greatest pieces of all time.
 Bach: 6 Suites for Cello Solo / Matt Haimovitz

Manufacturer: Oxingale
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by J.S. BachAll Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
CelloCello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ClassicalClassical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000056PH0
Release Date: 2000-11-21

Tracks:

  1. Suite I: Prde
  2. Suite I: Allemande
  3. Suite I: Courante
  4. Suite I: Sarabande
  5. Suite I: Menuets I & II
  6. Suite I: Gigue
  7. Suite II: Prde
  8. Suite II: Allemande
  9. Suite II: Courante
  10. Suite II: Sarabande
  11. Suite II: Menuets I & II
  12. Suite II: Gigue

Tracks:

  1. Suite III: Prde
  2. Suite III: Allemande
  3. Suite III: Courante
  4. Suite III: Sarabande
  5. Suite III: Bourr I & II
  6. Suite III: Gigue
  7. Suite IV: Prde
  8. Suite IV: Allemande
  9. Suite IV: Courante
  10. Suite IV: Sarabande
  11. Suite IV: Bourr I & II
  12. Suite IV: Gigue

Tracks:

  1. Suite V: Prde
  2. Suite V: Allemande
  3. Suite V: Courante
  4. Suite V: Sarabande
  5. Suite V: Gavottes I & II
  6. Suite V: Gigue
  7. Suite VI: Prde
  8. Suite VI: Allemande
  9. Suite VI: Courante
  10. Suite VI: Sarabande
  11. Suite VI: Gavottes I & II
  12. Suite VI: Gigue

Album Description

Oxingale Records releases cellist Matt Haimovitz' new recording: 6 Suites for Cello Solo by J. S. Bach. Complete on three compact discs, this vibrantly original, yet historically sensitive rendition of the beloved cello suites is accompanied by a 24-page booklet featuring musical commentary on each suite and 15 black and white photographs.

With this recording, Israeli-born Matt Haimovitz makes his first appearance on Oxingale Records. Previously, his six acclaimed recordings on the Deutsche Grammophon label received praise for their deep expressiveness, interpretive insight, flawless technique and burnished tone. His recording, Suites and Sonatas for Solo Cello, was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque (1991) and le Diapason d'Or (1991). Of his debut 1989 recording, Saint-Saens, Bruch, and Lalo with James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Gramaphone Magazine wrote, "this recording heralds the arrival of a new star in the cello firmament." For GRP Records Matt Haimovitz also recorded two improvisations with jazz bassist Rob Wasserman for the album, Trios, which features Jerry Garcia and Branford Marsalis, among others.

Matt Haimovitz' 6 Suites for Cello Solo by J. S. Bach, complete on three compact discs, was recorded in the Plainfield Congregational Church in Plainfield, Mass. In his program note Haimovitz writes: "the 250th anniversary of Bach's death on July 28th, 2000 inspired the schedule of the recording sessions - July 10 to 13 and August 6 to 7 of that year. I found the sanctuary of Plainfield's historic hilltown church to be an ideal ambiance that both nurtured the `cello's natural tone and allowed space for the sound to be sculpted." The recording was produced by Luna Pearl Woolf, who, as a composer herself, brought her insight into the compositional process to the production. Engineering was provided by Mark Thayer, whose 20 years of experience recording classical, jazz and acoustic folk music brings a warmth and intimacy to the final sound. The album was mastered by David Glasser, who has mastered 45 Grammy-nominated records and received a Grammy for mastering and restoration of the critically acclaimed "Anthology of American Folk Music."

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Period performance need not apply.......2006-07-28

The idea that the Bach cello suites should only be played on a baroque cello because this was the sound that Bach "supposedly" heard and was inspired by is not only ludicrous it is also a blind and ignorant opinion which has no basis in music history. Are you seriously telling me that the only way to hear Bach's early keyboard works is on a baroque harpsichord or organ, Mozart's horn concerti on a natural horn, Bach's orchestral works with baroque cornets and hunting horns? Have you ever actually listened to these instruments? Perhaps they contain some interest to antiquers looking for hisorical importance but certainly not to musicians looking for beautiful sounds and precise tuning. We have made advances in instrumental design in fields of material choices, tuning considerations, and accoustical manipulation and you are seriously telling me that none of these efforts are valid to the performance of music that came before them? Year after year we are subjected to recordings with horrible balance, disgusting tone, shoddy intonation and limited musicality, qualities which are supposed to be ignored, since the performance is on period instruments, an "authentic" reproduction. If we do not allow our modern efforts to aid in our instrumental design, and therefore bring new possibilities of beauty and precision to performances of new and old music then where are we to go from here? Are professional instrumentalists to own 12 different instruments to suit the nationality, time period and genre of the music they perform? There is a definite difference between preferring the sound of a baroque cello and characterizing more modern cellos as bastardizations of this design when performing music that came before them. Matt Haimovitz performs these suites with fantastic phrasing, intense emotional concentration, precise tuning and with some more modern performance liberties. To ignore these qualities because you are supposedly offended by the lack of "authenticity" of the instrument used means you are not a musician, rather, you are a bastardization of a musician. This is a fantastic recording that will become an important recording in the recorded legacy of these pieces.

1 out of 5 stars stop mixing contexts..........2006-04-29

why are you reviewers trying to disguise the fact that all this "modern" cellists ( yo-yo ma, rostropovitch, and so on) are doing a good job playing very heavy an too romantic cellos?...imagine tchaikowsky?s violin concerto performed on a baroque violin, with messa di voce,short stroke bowing, baroque ornaments and tempi!!!!.... so this guys are doing the other way around...all this performances were born dead...these works came alive on a particular sound and permormance fashion by bach?s genius, every thing that goes beyond this simple bases are lost.

5 out of 5 stars Haimovitz Attacks.......2004-04-26

Cellists seem to treat Bach's suites for solo cello with a depth of reverence that can render them rather bland. They figuratively kneel down and bow. They merely touch the hem of the garment. Haimovitz's approach is to attack the music in a much more practical way that seems to challenge Bach and this music to prove they are worthy of the pedestal they've been placed on. Where others I've heard stand back and gaze in awe and wonder, Haimovitz walks up to the icon, wraps it in a bear hug, pulls it down off the pedestal, tumbles to the floor and wrestles with it.

The effect is wondrous. You'll pay attention to this rendition.

5 out of 5 stars A Fine Pizz of Work.......2004-02-29

Matt Haimovitz's recording of the Bach cello suites is not for the traditionalist. Mr. Haimovitz scales the sacred Everest of the cello repertoire blazing an unfamiliar but distinctive trail to the mountaintop. His interpretation is filled with surprise from end to end. He never plays the repeat passages the same way twice, varying tempos and applying vibrato creatively yet thoughtfully, in way that grabs your attention and then neither lets it wander off nor affronts it.

Haimovitz's reading of the Bach suites may not have the transcendent quality of Yo-Yo Ma's 1997 recording on Sony, or aristocratic beauty of Pierre Fournier's 1961 recording on Polydor, or the technical wizardry of Pieter Wispelwey's 1998 baroque version on Channel Classics, but it's in a class alone for its willingness to take radical departures from the conventional boundaries of interpretation of this great work, including a pizzicato rendering of the repeat of the second minuet in Suite #2. None of the several dozens of editions of the Bach suites authorizes such an extreme break from convention for the right-hand, but since no scoring of the suites can be found in Bach's pen anyway, Haimovitz gets a pass based on artistic merit alone. He pulls it all off warmly, getting deep inside the music, and not compromising by trying to squeeze it all into the standard 2-disk format. The 65 minutes he gives to the last two suites is longer than any other version I've heard, a deeply introspective account of #5 and unusually deliberative reading of #6.

It's not uncommon these days to be confronted by in-your-face stylings of the great classics of string music, typically from string soloists who delight in breaking, smart-alecky, from custom. Mr. Haimovitz has managed in this beautifully recorded interpretation to find a fresh approach to a revered body of music that remains faithful to good taste.

4 out of 5 stars Fine recording of some of the greatest pieces of all time........2003-02-09

A truly fine recording of some of the greatest music of all time. It is well recorded with a closely miked somewhat sonorous sound (recorded in a local church) which works for me every time on Cello recordings, though others may prefer a more clinical sound. I give it four stars only to allow for my deep affection for other recordings of these landmark pieces by other cellists such as Rostropovich, Fournier, Bylsma and Maisky. I am looking forward to hearing it live. Mr Haimovitz seems to be playing the Cello suites often in fairly unconventional settings (coffeehouses, rock clubs etc.)
J.S. Bach: 6 Suites for Cello Solo
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A Great Recording. 100% recommended.
  • amazing
 J.S. Bach: 6 Suites for Cello Solo

Manufacturer: Artemis Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by J.S. BachAll Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
CelloCello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000AQS6I
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Tracks:

  1. Prelude
  2. Allemande
  3. Courante
  4. Sarabande
  5. Menuet I & II
  6. Gigue
  7. Prelude
  8. Allemande
  9. Courante
  10. Sarabande
  11. Menuet I & II
  12. Gigue

Tracks:

  1. Prelude
  2. Allemande
  3. Courante
  4. Sarabande
  5. Bourree I & II
  6. Gigue
  7. Prelude
  8. Allemande
  9. Courante
  10. Sarabande
  11. Bourree I & II
  12. Gigue

Tracks:

  1. Prelude
  2. Allemande
  3. Courante
  4. Sarabande
  5. Gavotte I & II
  6. Gigue
  7. Prelude
  8. Allemande
  9. Courante
  10. Sarabande
  11. Gavotte I & II
  12. Gigue

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A Great Recording. 100% recommended........2005-01-11

These CDs are a favorite of my classical collection. Haimovitz's tone is clear, warm, and beautifully recorded, and I found his interpretation to be very emotional and expressive but still energetic. He does some very adventurous things in his interpretation that may be frowned upon by a Bach "purist", but none of them are outside the realm of good taste in my opinion- Haimovitz has a very good ear. I recommend this CD often to those looking for the Bach Suites: this collection stands up to the best that I have heard, those being the Fournier, Tortelier, and Starker, all of which are routinely touted as the definitive versions. Certainly nothing against those recordings in the slightest, on the contrary I think one needs them all, but this Haimovitz takes its place at the top of my list of recent digital readings. It makes a great addition to any collection, and is also an interesting alternative to the aformentioned.

As an added bonus, the CDs are mastered in 24 bit HDCD format for the audiophile who has the stereo gear to take advantage of this technology- but also play normally on regular CD players.

5 out of 5 stars amazing.......2004-04-27

ok, i dont personally OWN this cd, but i've borrowed it from someone to listen to. Im definetnly going to buy it. I heard Matt Haimovitz live playing the first suite and he was amazing. He uses so much expression to express himself and creates a tune unlike any other performances I've ever heard. Buy this cd.

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