Suite No. 6 for Cello in D major, BWV 1012 - The most immediate difference
between the D major and the previous five suites is that the D major was
composed for a five-string cello instead of the customary four string type.
Before Bach, no composer had written for cello notes so high.  But Bach, in
the D major, reaches for the top E string in his unprecendented approach to
composition for the cello.

The D major Suite is often referred to as highly virtuosic, supremely
confident, dazzling, exuberant, joyful, etc.  The difference in emotional
state from the darkness of the C minor Suite is significant.  However, the
D major does have plenty of "bite", and it shows strongly right from the
start of the Prelude which I like with a somewhat martial delivery; music
can be heroic without double-dotting.  Also, this prelude constitutes the
only one of the six that is dance music.  Bruns is as biting as I could
want and with a fine degree of lyricism.  Dieltiens's sharpness is much
reduced from that of Bruns; it's quite a smooth and soft reading which
leaves me relatively unmoved.  McCarty is a step up from Dieltiens with
a stronger and slow performance; my only reservation is her prevalent
use of legato which tends to go stale on me.  Maisky is immediately of
martial disposition but he sinks into a maudlin mood quickly with the
usual romantic tone he employs; I did not enjoy his sometimes overblown
performance.  Kirshbaum is supremely strong and heroic and easily avoids
the romantic excesses and smoothed-over phrasing of Maisky; it's a
wonderful reading.  Casals takes the smooth route from the onset but
otherwise performs very well; he's sure not missing any heroic qualities
and his delivery is tense and usually powerful.  Overall, the performances
of Kirshbaum and Bruns are the ones in this group which win my heart.  If
"smoothness" is no problem for you, McCarty and Casals should more than
satisfy.

In the next grouping, Bylsma is quick with fine bite, but he does hold
back some.  ter Linden has a little smile in his performance which I find
syrupy; however, he plays the more dramatic passages very well.  Beschi
gives a strong and rather severe performance; I like that very much.  On
the debit side, he uses a lot of legato.  Westphal is also strong, but her
pacing is somewhat jerky.  Smooth legato is prevalent in the reading from
Rostropovich, and it doesn't sound very attractive.  On the plus side, he's
very strong and compelling.  Fournier gives a thrilling performance loaded
with effective nuances that distances itself from this field of six; more
on him later.

The last group finds Pergamenschikow possessing a smooth delivery and not
much else.  Schiefen drones on and on for about six minutes with a tiresome
performance full of overblown sentiment.  In his quest to be distinctive,
Schiefen ends up being perverse.  Ma II is strong but sounds slightly
deliberate.  Ma I starts out in a relaxed and smooth mode and very much
continues that way throughout the prelude; I'm quite surprised because his
tempo is very quick.  Wispelwey begins as if he's just enjoying a day of
leisure, although when drama strikes he does rise a little to meet the
challenge.  Still, my usual reservations about Wispelwey's performances
apply.  Sheppard is somewhat disappointing with a smooth reading which
I feel could have been delivered with more strength.

I've likely indicated, one way or another, that I prefer the prelude to
be strongly projected, well nuanced, tense, angular, and lyrical.  Further,
the dance rhythms should be in full display.  Bruns, Fournier, and
Kirshbaum provide all this.  Ultimately, it's Fournier and Kirshbaum who
maximize the music's excitement and urgency; they also best present the
dance-like nature of the piece.

The second movement Allemande is the longest Allemande of the set.
In the slowest performances, it extends to over ten minutes.  It has
a floating melody which adopts various harmonic structures, but each
structure exudes a strong feeling of "home", its security and comfort.
From this foundation, great confidence is inherent in the Allemande.  I
liken it to the confidence humans get from family and community.  I am
basically looking to each version for the conveying of confidence and
comfort, and this is no easy task.  Comfort easily veers toward boredom
and a cloying atmosphere; this needs to be avoided.  How? I think that
some angularity and strong accenting are important.  I've heard many
performances where greater speed is used to avert boredom - this is a
dangerous route to take as the faster speed has the capability of damaging
comfort.

Rostropovich's comfort level has a cloying effect and the confidence is
not high.  Throw in the consideration that his reading extends to over
ten minutes, and I end up with a version that significantly drags for me.
Rostropovich does present much beauty, but that can take a listener only so
far for so long.  Sheppard certainly lacks nothing in angularity; actually,
I find that she uses it too sharply at times and reduces the beauty of the
music.  Overall, Sheppard's performance exudes little comfort.  It's
primary advantage over Rostropovich's reading is that it's four minutes
shorter.  The same applies to Westphal who adds a shrill quality to the
proceedings.  McCarty keeps going and going, and nothing much happens; this
is pleasant but not interesting.  Switch to Ma II and listen to how he
shapes each phrase so lovingly and with great angularity and accenting;
my interest level is very high.

Dieltiens sounds as if he's snaking his way through a drain pipe;
the results are cloying and confidence does seem to be of the leeching
type.  Guido Schiefen wants us to live in a house of drama, crisis, and
histrionics - do you know anyone who would want that? Fournier is just much
too romantic in tone and manner than I can handle; this is extreme for him.
Maisky, not to be outdone by Rostropovich, gives a performance over eleven
minutes in length.  Initially, Maisky is soft-toned and devotional; the
comfort is there but not the confidence.  He rarely strays from this
subdued position, and when he does, romanticism is hanging in the air.
I found myself eagerly awaiting the end of Maisky's reading.  Perhaps I
lack the patience to appreciate this performance, but I think it's much
too sedate.  Kirshbaum takes the romanticized route in a manner similar
to Fournier, and it affects me the same way.

Better versions come from Ma I, Pergamenschikow, and Casals.  Ma I is a
fine reading, but it does pale next to his more recent issue.  Another step
up finds Wispelwey, Bruns, and Bylsma; each is thoroughly idiomatic with
fine levels of comfort and confidence.

My special performances are provided by Ma II, ter Linden, and Beschi.  Ma
seems just about perfect to me; the degree of angularity, beauty, comfort,
confidence, and projection blend together superbly.  ter Linden is quite
smooth but his accenting is incisive; his would be a great home to live in
where comfort and support flow continuously and life is well organized.
Beschi takes the heroic approach and it works great; this is a very finely
etched reading.

The third movement Courante is very upbeat, heroic, and exciting music.
Much of the excitement is provided by swirling passages that wind their way
through heavy air.  I feel the music is best served by performances which
are strongly projected and highly angular.  These versions simply don't
have enough life to them: Bylsma, Wispelwey, Pergamenschikow, Casals, Ma
I & II, Dieltiens, Beschi, and ter Linden.  Sheppard has strong angularity
but a very scratchy quality which I can live without.  Maisky maintains his
hold on romanticized exaggerations which I find to sound ridiculous - sort
of the Bach/Liszt show.  Schiefen isn't bad, but he loves to pound out high
notes and increase their value.

Better versions are available from Rostropovich and Westphal; each is quick
and exciting.  Bruns, Fournier, and McCarty are excellent; their deliveries
are very strong and heroism is ripe.  Best of all is Kirshbaum who provides
everything the other fine versions give with the added attraction of
fantastic swirling runs.

The fourth movement Sarabande mixes serenity and comfort with an exquisite
level of angst which has to be displayed but not take over the movement.
Also, this is gorgeous music which should easily penetrate the listener.
Technically, multiple stops and slurring are prevalent.

Guido Schiefen adds as much angst as possible; this works very well in
the first subject where most of the serenity resides.  However, it all
gets overblown for the remainder of the performance as Schiefen's emotional
balance is skewed.  Kirshbaum overdoes the angst right from the start; one
would think his entire family had been eliminated.  McCarty does not begin
well; her legato and stops are weak.  Actually, she's sort of the opposite
of Kirshbaum and Schiefen.  They go too far into histrionics; McCarty gives
too little of herself and ends up with a benign performance.

Wispelwey is interesting but not satisfying.  He projects very well right
from the start; then I begin to notice a monotone and cloying quality to
the performance.  For me, the reading tends to go nowhere largely based
on insufficient contrast and shading.  Maisky takes the route taken by
Kirshbaum and Schiefen, although in a more subdued manner.  Rostropovich
is oozing with schmaltz from the first notes; I find this very disagreeable
and the least pleasureable version of the eighteen.  Fournier is much too
strong in the first subject; he sounds as if he's ready to rumble.  The
more I listen, the more he reminds me of the Rostropovich performance.
Thumbs down!

Both Ma readings are very rewarding with a gentle first theme; I prefer Ma
I for its quicker tempo and more classical presentation.  Pergamenschikow
gives a satisfying performance with a fine balance of comfort and angst.
Westphal is excellent with her accenting, phrasing, and emotional balances.
Bylsma, although generally soft-spoken, projects very well and conveys much
detail and conversation.  Dieltiens is as good as Bylsma and also tends to
be soft-spoken; Dieltiens is more relaxed and legato-driven.  Other
excellent performances come from Sheppard, Beschi, and Bruns.

Saving the best for last, we have ter Linden and Casals.  Although one's
on baroque cello, I find the interpretations and execution to be quite
similar.  Their slurring, stops, note values, and emotional injections and
releases are just about perfect.

The fifth movement is a lively, strong, and happy Gavotte I followed by a
more subdued and winding Gavotte II.  A four minute or longer performance
would be rather slow; Rostropovich extends matters to over five minutes.
He is rhythmically alert and well projected, so boredom does not seep in.
There's also a nobility and majesty in his reading which is very
attractive.  Switch to Ma I and experience a somewhat sour tone and little
majesty.  Wispelwey has some strong projection mixed with that subdued and
cute phrasing he likes to use.  Concerning Bylsma, I would have preferred
a stronger delivery in Gavotte I for a livelier experience.  The same
comments apply to Beschi, but surely not to ter Linden who is very strong
and regal in Gavotte I and winds his way wonderfully through Gavotte II.
In this group, Rostropovich and ter Linden are the gems.

Kirshbaum shows plenty of strength but engages in some hesitations which
I find damaging to the flow.  Maisky starts off wonderfully as if he's Sir
Lancelot riding home from a thrilling victory; unfortunately, Maisky then
has this brave knight become hesitant, weak, histrionic, and a generally
poor excuse for a man who can't even find his way home.  Pergamenschikow
could be stronger, but his is the most lyrical and bewitching version
reviewed; there's a youthfulness in the interpretation that's also very
compelling.  Casals is very good but a little too romantic for my tastes.
Westphal and Bruns give performances that satisfy, but it's Pergamenschikow
who stands out in this grouping.

In the third group, no version matches the quality of Pergamenschikow or
ter Linden.  McCarty is the best among Fournier(romantic), Ma II(lack of
majesty), Dieltiens(subdued), Sheppard(harsh), and Schiefen(loud).

The last movement Gigue opens with a royal flourish and is jovial in nature
with plenty of bite; there's even a little humor in here.  I most enjoy
the versions having strong projection and a fine display of horizontal
expressiveness, lyricism, and urgency.  I feel there are nine excellent
versions on about the same level: Beschi, Westphal, McCarty, Ma II, ter
Linden, Bruns, Fournier, Casals, and Dieltiens.  The remaining ones are
fairly good except for Schiefen who goes out in a muddle.  Overall, for the
D major Suite, I favor ter Linden closely followed by Bruns and Casals.

Recommendations on Sets: The further I delved into the different versions
of the Cello Suites, the more irritated I became with two particular
performing traits.  One was underprojection which is most prevalent in
the baroque cello sets.  The other is exaggeration which belongs more to
the modern cello sets.  Concerning those two traits, I don't think well of
them at all, and their significance shows greatly in my recommendations.

Modern Cello Versions: There is no reason to have Guido Schiefen in your
home.  His readings are usually coarse and overbearing.  I also can't give
hearty endorsements to Maisky or Rostropovich; too often they go off into
non-baroque territory and give me the impression that they have forgotten
that Bach is baroque.  Put another way, I don't want their histrionics.
Pergamenchikow I did not rate highly, but there is a youthful nature to
his playing which I do find very attractive; I'll go with a qualified
recommendation for the man.  Excellent versions come from Casals, Both Ma
versions, Fournier, and Kirshbaum.

Baroque Cello Versions: I can't recommend Wispelwey at all.  I've read and
heard all the raves, and I don't agree with any of them.  He is uniformly
subdued and often weak in projection; Dieltiens and Bylsma also have this
problems from time to time, but they are much more musical and incisive
than Wispelwey.  The excellent alternatives are from Bruns, Beschi,
Sheppard, and ter Linden.  You might not have ever heard of Beschi, but
this man's for real in the repertoire.

Viola Versions: Both Westphal and McCarty present very good sets.  McCarty
is the more romantic, Westphal the more angular.  Either set should provide
much pleasure unless you can't tolerate the viola, and I don't know of
anyone in that category.

Best Set?: Not really.  None of them captures my heart on a regular basis.
If pressed to choose one baroque and one modern version, I'd likely go with
Beschi and Ma II; however, plenty of other combinations would be highly
rewarding.

Your Tastes Are Not My Tastes: This is a whole other category.  Acquire
Wispelwey and/or Maisky, and may God be with you.  As for me, I'll try to
dish off those two and Rostropovich to loved relatives.  Guido Schiefen's
set has to be trashed; I'd feel badly even donating it to a library.

Don Satz
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