Yo-Yo Ma - Bach: Cello Suites Nos. 1, 5 & 6 (2001)

Tracklist

01. Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: I. Prélude
02. Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: II. Allemande
03. Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: III. Courante
04. Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: IV. Sarabande
05. Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: V. Menuets I & II
06. Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: VI. Gigue
07. Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: I. Prélude
08. Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: II. Allemande
09. Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: III. Courante
10. Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: IV. Sarabande
11. Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: V. Gavottes I & II
12. Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: VI. Gigue
13. Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: I. Prélude
14. Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: II. Allemande
15. Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: III. Courante
16. Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: IV. Sarabande
17. Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: V. Gavottes I & II
18. Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: VI. Gigue

This release covers half (Suites No. 1, No. 5, and No. 6) of Yo-Yo Ma's first recording of the Bach Cello Suites made in 1983. At the time, he was still a newer talent to audiences, but had already impressed teachers and listeners with his musicality and technical skills. The Bach suites were pieces he had been learning all his life and were one of the things that helped him make his mark as a student at Harvard. Ma's reading of the suites is more stylized than Bach purists might like, but at the same time, it is entirely musical and enjoyable. His choices of where and when to use rubato and how much are completely subjective, but done for the sake of creating depth and shape in the music in a way that speaks to him and the listener. The Allemande and Courante of the Suite No. 5 are told like stories, with moments of gravity, excitement, and reflection. There are also moments of carefree dancing, particularly in the Courante and Gigue of Suite No. 1, and in the Gavotte and Gigue of No. 6, where he uses his bow to play into the strings, giving the music a slightly rustic character. Ma's musical sense comes through clearly in this recording of the suites, which demonstrates why his abilities garnered much-deserved attention when it was originally released.

DOWNLOAD ALBUM [flac]