Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
           The French Suites

French Suites, BWV 812-817
Blandine Rannou, harpsichord
Recorded September 2001
Released August 2003
Zig Zag ZZT-020401.2 [2cds - 101:13]

Comparison: David Cates/Music & Arts

Blandine Rannou is a young harpsichordist who has recorded the music
of Couperin, Rameau, and Bach for the Zig Zag label.  She displays a
recognizable style in her playing of Bach's Six French Suites where the
main priorities appear to be flow, momentum, and beauty.  These are
certainly favorable qualities, and Rannou fully succeeds in conveying
them.  I am most impressed with the exuberance she gives to the energized
and fast movements and the joy of life she imparts to the Allemandes.
Her readings are highly enjoyable ones that most listeners would likely
appreciate.

Now is the time for the David Cates set to rear its head.  I reviewed his
performances a short number of months ago and considered it among the best
on the market.  In the intervening time period, my affection for his
interpretations has only grown.  At this point, it is the version I would
insist on if I could have just one.  Like Rannou, Cates is first-rate when
it comes to bringing out the music's beauty, drive, and flow.  But he has
additional virtues not found in the Rannou performances.

While listening to both sets, these features most occupied my mind:

Exuberance - Rannou's exuberance is up-front and quite exciting in the
fast and energized movements.  She tends to play faster than Cates, and
the greater drive can be advantageous.  This is very noticeable in the
Bourree from the Suite in G major, Rannou giving the music energy and
drive much greater than from Cates.  Also, the last three movements of the
Suite in B minor are superbly played by Rannou with effervescence at peak
levels.

Beauty of Music - Both artistis do a great job of bringing out Bach's
lyricism, particularly in the Allemandes.  Rannou's Allemande from the
Suite in G major is an especially gorgeous reading of life affirmation.

Detail of Musical Lines - Cates clearly places more emphasis on detail
than Rannou who favors the flow of the music.

Depth of Expression - The Cates performances find every nugget of
emotional depth in Bach's music, while Rannou can sound rather superficial
in comparison.  This is most evident in the Sarabandes, a weak spot for
Rannou.  A good example is her Sarabande from the Suite in G major where
she gives the poignant music a light brushing.  However, I don't want to
leave the impression that Rannou's Sarabandes are unworthy; they are
lovingly offered with excellent pacing.

Conversational and Rhetorical Matters - I've not heard a version of
the French Suites where the conversations among musical lines are so
compelling as in the Cates performances.  Rannou simply does not emphasize
these features - the gap here is huge.  An excellent example is the
Allemande from the Suite in D minor where Cates puts on his rhetorical
garb in incisive fashion; Rannou erases the rhetoric.

Rhythms - Another triumph for Cates.  He often uses a staggering technique
where certain musical lines are placed behind the beat.  This creates a
'tugging' effect that I find enhances the impact of the rhythmic flow.
There's nothing wrong with Rannou's rhythms, but they definitely don't
compare to the Cates staggering approach.

Tension - The French Suites are not high on the 'desperation' scale, but
a few of the movements are overtly dramatic and most have at least an
underlying and subtle tension.  Rannou prefers a sunny approach to Bach's
music that sometimes results in a deficiency of pressure.  This lacking
comes to center stage in both the Courante and the Gigue from the Suite in
D minor.

Tempos - Rannou is uniformly faster than Cates.  The quicker pacing does
pay some dividends for Rannou, but it also results in the glossing over of
voice interaction.  An obvious example is her Menuet from the Suite in E
flat major that must be at least twice as fast as the contemplative Cates
version; her entire emphasis is the music's comfortable flow, while Cates
offers a stunning rhetorical event that recognizes every musical detail
with strong feeling.

Sound Quality - Cates is given a very clean soundstage that allows his
wonderful detailing of voices its full measure.  Rannou's sound has more
reverberation and constitutes waves of sounds.  It is possible that Rannou
gives us some razor-sharp phrasing, but there's no way a listener could
hear it.  My preference is easily with the Cates soundstage.

In conclusion, Blandine Rannou is an excellent Bach performing artist,
and listening to her set of the French Suites entails a host of pleasures
including the harpsichord built by Frederic Bal and Anthony Sidey in 1985
after a Ruckers-Hemsch model.  Cates remains my first choice, but Rannou
will get some playing time when I feel the need for a pick-me-up.

Don Satz
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