A Good Solid Performance of the Bach 'Cello Suites on Viola
josh1000 | West Hollywood, CA USA | 06/10/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"As a violist, I have a serious love affair with the Bach 'cello suites. If I were stranded on a desert island and could pick only one volume of pieces to have with me and my viola, I would choose these 6 suites-- so I was naturally excited to find this disc. Overall, it is excellent playing-- although it's perhaps not quite as good as Westphal's recording of the Brahms viola sonatas. Her playing is crisp and to-the-point, and her sound is very nice-- but it occasionally sounds a little hard-edged. This is especially the case with the Prelude to the first suite, with which she takes an unusual approach. Interestingly, she plays Suite #6 in G major (as opposed to the original D major). For a lot of reasons, this makes a lot more sense than playing it in D-- especially with the slow movements-- and comes across successfully. (My only complaint is that the liner notes fail to mention this adjustment.) Overall, this is a valuable addition to a violist's CD collection."