Search - Johann Sebastian Bach :: Bach: The Six Suites for Cello

Navarra - Bach Cello Suites - uplifting and enjoyable

Mr. Get Real | Long Beach, CA USA | 10/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What I look for in music is not whether it is a "modern" or "baroque" style or tempo is fast or slow, but rather whether the artist can take the listener to the "next level". Can you at some point close your eyes and be transported to another place?



These performances by Navarra from 1977 (Calliope - French label) are exciting, really hold your attention and yes - they take you to another level. Suite #1 is in just the right tempo to bring out the beauty of the piece - I have never heard a better rendition. And Suite #2 and #3, in particular, are also incredible! Navarra reaches a level of experience for the listener that should be the goal for all other performers to achieve. The entire set here by Navarra is a stand out for me because it is so consistently engaging - you really are drawn into the music - it's not aloof or sterile as so many other interpretations sometimes are, yet not over done. I guess it's sort of like how an Itzhak Perlman might play them if he had a cello instead of a violin, very expressive, yet totally within bounds of what the piece requires, never sterile, but also never overly romantic - a good balance that focuses on the melodic lines - Navarra never gets lost in this area where others often do.



I currently have 13 different versions of the Cello Suites by different artists and I always come back to this one (among others) at some point. To get a sense of my idea of a great performance, I like Casals, Starker (SACD version on Mercury label and or the more recent one on RCA that has warmer sound), Fourtier, Kirshbaum, Beschi, Thedeen - and of course Navarra. All of these are highly recommended. I do not find Yo Yo Ma to be convincing.



A quick note about Casals; there are several versions of the same material out there. I have found that the Japanese Opus Kura label has the fullest and most natural sound, including all of the deepest bass, but also has a lot of hiss and surface noise. The Remastered EMI has less hiss and hardly any surface noise, but has lost much of the deepest bass - the emphasis now on the mid bass. Between these two choices (Opus Kura or EMI Remastered) the ear quickly adjusts to either one, so it really depends on personal choice.



Currently, my four top favorites are Navarra, Starker (either version), Casals and Fourtier - these would make it to the desert island this week. Of course next week the favorites might change, but that's what is so great about the Cello Suites - you constantly discover new facets in the performances. And as a result, I suggest that you should have several alternative sets to listen to in order to get a different change of pace every once in awhile. I never get tired of them.



By the way, I think this Navarra set might be out of print. Amazon does not carry it, but others still do. Don't wait too long to grab this one...."