Bach: Cello Suites

Mstislav Rostropovich is one of the few musicians who can create a larger-than-life experience through the combined forces of exceptional music, a beautiful instrument, and uncommonly facile communicative skills. In his performances of Bach's transcendent masterpieces for solo cello, Rostropovich finds a perfect balance between a romantic, rhapsodic interpretation and one that emphasizes the purely formal "aridity" of Bach's structures. Although it's nearly impossible to isolate one or two highlights, the Sarabande and Prelude from Suite No. 5 are among the most profoundly moving cello performances you will ever hear--the closest we probably will ever come to experiencing through music the soul of both Rostropovich and Bach. Not everyone will immediately appreciate the very resonant sound that emphasizes the cello's lower register. But after a few minutes your ears adjust, the music takes over, and nothing else seems important. --David Vernier