Customer Reviews

Bach Cello Suites

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this CD yesterday (2/21/10), after watching Zuill Bailey at a concert in Fairbanks--his performance of the Elgar Cello Concerto was stunning with the orchestra; alive, precise, engaged--and then for his encore, he played two of the movements from the Bach Cello suites--he captured the audience with his music. My son is a young cellist, and someone rigged the seating arrangements so we had a front row seat to watch him perform--and it was a theatrical performance--his body language and his breathing both seemed at times over the top, almost as if they might overshadow the music. But somehow he came down on the right side of the line--he convinced me that his performance was based on an understanding of the music--an honest attempt to express the feelings of the music with the audience. At the end of his second encore he held the last note for what seemed like an eternity, that faded into a silence that lasted for perhaps twenty seconds (my son told me today he counted to 20...)

I've been listening to the CD almost continuously since I got home from the concert--the music is familiar--I've owned the Rostropovich double CD of the Bach Suites since it's release--but I always found his interpretation to be mournful, full of Russian sadness. When the Berlin wall fell and I heard that Rostropovich sat by the checkpoint playing the Bach Cello Suites "because of the joy" I wondered what he was talking about. But Bailey shows that Rostropovich was right--this is music of joy, and Bailey is out to prove it. And I'm happy to listen to his proof...

I've listened to these suites for more years than I would care to admit, yet I have never heard a performance of them with the life, feeling, and depth of these by Bailey. Prior to purchasing these, I had never heard of him. His interpretation of these works emphasizes the great sweep of melody and energy of what are, truly, dances, and yet in the sarabandes they whisper with such incredible subtlety and magic, without making them bland through over-refinement. I have owned the Yo-Yo Ma, Isserlis, Fournier, Starker, and Bylsma performances and none of them have the commanding power of Bailey's. I've also listen to one of the Casals recordings and while it was this recording which first introduced these works to me, the age of the sound has become a detriment. If you love this music check out the samples, I hope you can hear them as I have.
One proviso, my love for this recording has had the unfortunate consequence of my listening to my hundreds of other classical disks far less frequently. Could this performance be too good?
Liberation from the Lie: Cutting the Roots of Fear Once and for All

Zuill Bailey's handprint on these Suites brings the music to life, and his attention to every note and nuance demonstrates an understanding of the emotional appeal of Bach. From the popular Prelude to the First Suite, to the sensual Sarabande of the Fifth Suite, Bailey's technique, artistry and finesse makes this recording one to remember and one to keep close by.

Bailey not only touched hearts, but minds in his thoughtful discussion of Bach's music and his experiences in his recent interview on NPR's Weekend Edition. His approach to Bach's extraordinary compositions will certainly open up a whole new world of classical music to another eager generation.

Those of us who are lucky enough to be in Sitka, Alaska during the month of June ([...]) will be able to experience his playing personally. The rest of the year, we will keep this CD in our cars and on our iPods. I recommend that you do the same!

I heard the Fifth Suite on XM Radio and purchased the CD forthwith. However, I am very disappointed with the two discs. At times the music soars, but all too often Bailey is just sawing away, bored it seems to me.

The music is better to Bailey than Bailey is to the music. The really great parts are too good to bring down, but other parts are played as if Bailey had no overarching idea of expressing the music. Sometimes the notes are crisp and precise and at other times it's as if he was stabbing at it. His range of expression can't hint of those in better recordings.

That said, I like the last suite on each disc and am disappointed with the first two. In other words 1, 2, 3, and 4 are thumbs down and 5 and 6 are thumbs up. It's almost as if the mood was on or off

I find Rostropovich's and Fournier's much more to my liking. However, it's your money and you can spend it as you wish.

. . . but buy your CD set here.

At the concert it's $20.

Buy the CD set, rip to whatever you rip to, and listen, listen, listen. This is music that you "hear" in your solar plexus. Here Bach and Bailey speak to the soul -- praise from someone who listens to classical music only occasionally.

Then watch for a performance near you. Bailey is relaxed, just informal enough to make his explanations of the music, his cello, and his love for the Suites seem like a conversation with a small group of people he enjoys and trusts, and just passionate enough to match your own swelling heart as you listen to him play.

If it's a large concert hall, be sure to sit where you can see. Even though I had to close my eyes for most of the concert, so I could let the music engulf me without distraction, he is so engaging, you shouldn't miss the full experience.

This recording starts and ends well enough. If you like Ma, Rostropovich or Starker's 1992 penultimate (and very romantic for Starker) recording, don't buy this. I agree that the music gives more to Bailey then he to the music. Bailey is only OK as long as he seems to be copying Starker's '92 recording. He does not take the music seriously on his own. The tempi are often painfully slow or so fast that the music is made a mish-mash. The over-exaggerated end-of-phrase notes are grating. There's a lot of irritating staccato bowing and not nearly as much thoughtful bowing. The emphasis is often off and that misshapes the music compared to any other recording I've heard. This is a cellist who performs all 6 Suites at one performance. That should tell you something. He should consider seriously what Hilary Hahn says about playing Bach on Michael Lawrence's DVD "Bach & Friends" and listen to her Great Performances Bach Partitas for Solo Violin recording for a personal yet controlled playing of string solo Bach.

The Bach Cello Suites seem endlessly available to the varied insights of great performers. The technical demands are enormous and the expressive ones even more so. The Suites can seem arch as if they spoke to us from a world beyond any ordinary life. They can seem dark and tortured as if they bared elements of soul we could never approach on our own. You owe it to yourself to sample many performances but do not miss this amazing interpretation of Zuill Bailey . It will lift you from your chair with wonder at Bach's profound gift, at the power of these works to move us after hundreds of years. However, Bailey's sheer and consistent enthusiasm and respect and skill in all of his performances, live and recorded, reminds me most of the experiences I had listening to Leonard Bernstein's lectures as a child. He convinced me that music made us more awake to life itself. Music was our greatst gift and deserved our loving attention. Bailey plays like these works were written yesterday and not like a celebrity cellist filling in his discography. He makes the suites matter with complete immediacy.He plays in service to you and to the composer. The Suites in his voice are full of joy.

If you can get past the somewhat undesirable tone, there are moments of originality and energy in his playing that are definitely enjoyable. However, there's barely anything that Isserlis or Queyras doesn't do, and without incessant scratching on their parts, I'd definitely recommend their recordings over this one any day. If you are an old connoisseur of the Suites, though, give it a try--it surely isn't garbage.

I first learned about this CD on NPR's Fresh Air. I looked it up on Amazon , ordered it and within a few days was able to enjoy it. Really beautiful and melodic. The cello is often overlooked but this rendering of Bach is well worth the listen.

These are gorgeous though not a replacement for missing the concert itself. Since the concert was all sold out, I had only the next to the best thing to do and that was buy the CD set.