Customer Reviews

J. S. Bach: The 6 Cello Suites

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is one of the great recordings of all time, but the sound is so poor... And EMI is to blame. They filtered the original tapes to get rid of the 1930s-noise, and en passant they ruined the cello sound. The same recordings are available on Pearl, unfiltered, and then you can hear from the warmth and wealth of colors in his playing that Casals really was the greatest of cello players.

In the words of Rostropovich himself, Casals is unequalled when it comes to virtuosity. This is felt throughout this recording.

I am still having a hard time with the sound quality of this CD though. Not much to expect from a recording done in 1936-1939 I guess. But it still bugs me when listening, and quite frankly this only makes me prefer other versions.

What I really recommend: get this edition, "the" original one. But also get on EMI Classics Mstislav Rostropovich's version. Rostropovich's play is very close to Casals'; but the 1991 recording will give you outstanding sound quality on top.

If you are just want to buy some CD for casual listening, or you do care the sound, choose DG's Fournier set (mid-price) or EMI's set. However, Casals' performance is a historical milestone and reflects his serious and in-depth interpretation for Bach's works. For lover of cello or Bach, it is worth keeping.

I listened to this day and night. . .I found the score and got up at 5.00 to practice it (maybe that doesn't seem early to you, but I am not a morning person). It's wonderful to see a piece where the cello is not reduced to a minor accompanying part. Genius. Absolutely.

In a recent survey of recordings of the cello suites for BBC radio 3, the reviewer commented that this was possibly the best recording of ANYTHING made EVER. Not the sort of hyperbole you get normally from the BBC. Personally, I'm not sure I can ignore the poor sound quality, though.

This is the best performance somebody can find. It's played by the greatest musician, mtro. Pau Casals. It is necessary you hear it, then you'll cry because of the excitment. Besides, the sound is quite acceptable, you even hear Casals' voice when he is too excited. These suites were recorded in the 30's, and nobody has improved them. So buy it soon, and have an amazing experience. I finish by saying what the violinist Isaac Stren said once about Casals: "He is the father of all of us".

Never mind that it sounds like that the music was recorded in Casals' back yard, Casals still displays amazing tone an virtuosity. I wish that his genius could have been captured with todays technology.

After listening to Casals' rendition of Bach's "The 6 Cello Suites", I could not bear to listen to anything else. The pure melody flows for 130 minutes, taking you on an emotional tour. This recording will restore peace to your soul.

although these recordings are mono, the playing is just superb. an absolute classic.

This music breathes, lives . . . is creation! Whatever recording one chooses of the Casals, by all means, acquire one. Not to disappoint the experts and perfectionists, I'm fine with this one, the EMI, occasionally hissing backdrops and all. Whenever I find myself in the slough of total despair,too dizzy to get off the mat, I spin the Casals, and listen: that's life talking!