6 Suites a Violoncello solo senza Basso (2 CDs)

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"They (the Cello Suites) are the quintessence of Bach's oeuvre, and Bach himself is the quintessence of all music." Pablo Casals

The emotions of today's cellist are the same as those of an 18th-century musician. But they are of a different intensity and are intertwined in another way. In today's stressful world, we certainly feel the emotion of satisfaction or the nuances of love somewhat differently than a devout person in the Baroque era. The context of the concert is also completely different. Today, we play the Suites in bigger halls and to much larger audiences than in the past. However, these pieces remain the most intimate chamber music ever composed. One might say that they are intended only for the performer's ears. Those who happen to be listening to the musician tend to watch from a distance in a somewhat voyeuristic manner. The cellist hears the Suites so close to the instrument that he can perceive the whispers of the rosin, the tension exerted by the pressure on the raw gut strings, the acoustic harmonics of the notes attacked more firmly. He can spatially discern the difference between the lowest and highest-pitched sounds as if they were coming from different directions. Conversely, an audience seated several metres away only perceives the sound of the cello from a specific point.

Few works are as important to a given group of performers as Bach's Cello Suites. All cellists play them and have practised them all their lives. It's a nation of many little Glenn Goulds. Cellists have played their Suites every day since childhood and dream about them at night. They can talk endlessly about them. They know the various legendary recordings by heart, the different fingerings, quirky bowings, and bon mots. In the course of their studies, they are fed with warnings such as "Maestro Casals rehearsed these Suites for 12 years before performing them in concert!" I remember that when I was studying at the music conservatory, my class book read: Scales – Studies – Bach – Recital piece.

Cellists are constantly searching and speculating and are often frustrated. As soon as they have reached the horizon of a dream, they see a new one the following day, just as distant and unattainable as yesterday's. It seems impossible to establish a definitive interpretation. It changes from day to day.
Petr Skalka
Translated from German by Michelle Bulloch - Musitext