Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, György Sebök :: Bach: Suites for Solo Cello; Sonatas in G & D Major

Unequivocally one of the best recordings of the Bach solo ce

Xyp | Cincinnati, OH | 08/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This must be a top choice under any terms- Starker's sense of lyricism in these suites (and sonatas, too!) stands with the finest recordings of these pieces, ever. Fournier has wonderful qualities, and indeed most musicians and recording aficionados that I have spoken with would likely term his the recording to own if there would be only one in a collection. Tortelier also puts forth one of the top cycles on EMI (GROC series) and has much to offer- and there are many other notables: Ma, Mork, and of course, Casals- but take a listen to any of the samples on this page and you'll see that Starker's sense of line, rhythm, and dance equals the best and far surpasses the rest.



There are two masterings of these CDs available, and I have heard and read poor reviews of the sound on the regular CD mastering, but these SACDs (I play them through a regular CD player) sound wonderfully warm- absolutely no sound complaints here."

Great listening

JMB1014 | USA | 01/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bach gave us the catechism for piano (the Well-Tempered Clavier), the violin (the solo partitas and sonatas) and the cello (these suites). Nothing is so subtly satisfying as these masterpieces. Starker is one of those extremely gifted and unaffected musicians of the generation who flourished in the 1950's and '60's (and in some cases, since), like Richter, Oistrakh and Milstein. They are the most sublime interpreters, marrying emotional authenticity and technical achievement to give us recordings that have set the standard for decades to come. We are lucky Starker is still with us. (I also recommend his intimate, charming and quirky book, "The World of Music According to Starker," which comes with a CD featuring Starker playing a delicious recital of Beethoven, Brahms, and others. The book includes, inter alia, a chapter discussing his career from the viewpoint of his stomach.) Starker's reading of the Bach cello suites here is delightful and edifying. While Casals is in a class by himself, I would take Starker over any other. His approach is lyrical and makes these pieces sound almost like lieder. They are full of yearning, joy, pensiveness - and yet none of the interpretation is overwrought: true to his generation he is unpretentious and genuine. The sound on the Hybrid SACDs is excellent and very warm, as others have commented. This set is eminently worth the price."

SA-CD player necessary for SA-CDs

Peter L. Bonanomi | 08/12/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I heard Starker at The Hopkins Center, Dartmouth College, many years ago. Listening to this recording of the Bach Unaccompanied Suites was like sitting in the first row; it is phenomenal. BUT, you must have a CD player with an SA-CD mode. I started to listen to it in the standard CD mode, and it did sound very metallic. Note: This was also pointed out by a reviewer of SA-CD recording of Balalaika Favorites also. I switched to the SA-CD mode and VOILA, the sound exploded into the most glorious sound possible."