Steve Schwartz wrote: >Of the ones I've heard - Casals, Ma (both), Rostropovich (first), >Tortelier, Neikrug, Fournier, and Maisky - my two favorites are very >similar in approach. Both Fournier and Neikrug create a very elegant >line, without sacrificing rhythm. They're wonderful both in the slow >movements and in the quick. > >I must say that I've never gotten the point of Casals the cellist; I've >always preferred by quite a bit Feuermann. Ma is okay. I prefer his >second time out to his first. Rostropovich and Tortelier again are okay. >I find both of their accounts too much International Virtuoso. I have not heard the Neikrug and Maisky versions, but I've heard the Casals, Rostropovich, Tortelier, Fournier, Bijslma and now my recently acquired Wispelwey (Channel Record). I like Wispelwey's version version very much: he has a natural and warm playing, beautiful Preludes with nothing overdone, the slow movements with a well feeled gravitas and the quick movements as they should be, quick, dancelike, and sometimes featherlight. I don't like the Casals too much, I returned Rostropovich 2 to the shop (as Steve puts it, 'too much International Virtuoso') and at the end I stay with Fournier, all-round beautiful, and with Bijlsma and/or Wispelwey, very personal without exaggerating. Reynier Bordes