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"Bach: Cello Suites Nos.
1-6"
For many of us, Pablo Casals's legendary
interpretation of Bach's six cello suites--the 1930s recordings
that showcased these works as far more than mere finger exercises
for cellists--are still definitive. Casals rediscovered these
previously appreciated compositions and did his damnedest to
illustrate their importance. Hence, his bold, romantic interpretations,
which may lack subtlety but certainly not substance or grace.
With Naxos's new remastering from audio producer Ward Marston,
this bargain-priced recording makes a vast improvement on EMI's
more expensive version of these exact same recordings (and a
subtle improvement over Pearl's even pricier remastering). Here,
you can finally turn up the stereo and get the full sonic depth
of these recordings without fatiguing your ears from a ton of
surface noise. Instead, you simply get lost in Casals's flowing,
passionate playing and impeccable tone. This has always been
a landmark recording and it's never sounded better than this.
--Jason Verlinde |
Reviewer: Ted Ficklen from Saint Louis,
MO USA
There are several different CD editions
of these same classic recordings by Casals, but none are priced
lower than this new set from Naxos. Not only do these two discs
include all six suites for solo cello by Bach, but the second
disc includes an extra half hour of assorted Bach cello transcriptions.The
original recordings, made in the mid 1930's, have alot of hiss.
Its like hearing a cello in the rain, but this is the same no
matter what CD you buy. Its just the limits of the source material.
You might as well go as cheap as you can.The background hiss
can be annoying on your living room stereo, but when played in
the car, or on a walkman, or on a desktop computer, it is not
nearly as noticeable.Casals has been called a romantic in his
approach to Bach. This is certainly a darker approach to the
Bach Suites than, say, Yo Yo Ma. |
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