Bach: The Cello Suites

Hyperion’s record of the month for May is a major milestone for a performer at the zenith of his career—described recently in The Independent as ‘the stuff of legend’. Steven Isserlis’s award-winning discography spans his diverse interests in repertoire and his musicological enthusiasm, as well as demonstrating his supreme artistry and uniquely beautiful sound, and his first recording of the complete Bach cello suites is an indelibly important addition to the set.

Steven writes that ‘the Bach suites are works of such total perfection, such sublimity, that it is well-nigh impossible to feel ready for them’. He has proved more than adequate to the task and this release is a triumphant conclusion to an artistic pilgrimage.

Steven’s eloquent booklet notes reveal his personal thoughts about the suites, as well as extensive academic research. His is an interpretation that has come from his passionate involvement in the music rather than from following the various theories that abound in Bach scholarship, and he discusses it fully in an article which is a perfect complement to this wonderful release.

CDA67541/2  136 minutes 6 seconds (2 discs)
GRAMOPHONE AWARD WINNER - INSTRUMENTAL
BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE DISC OF THE MONTH
CD REVIEW DISC OF THE WEEK (BBC R3)
CD REVIEW LISTENERS' DISC OF THE YEAR (BBC R3)
HENRY KELLY'S CD OF THE WEEK (CLASSIC FM)
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THE INDEPENDENT ALBUM OF THE WEEK
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CHOC DU MONDE DE LA MUSIQUE
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CLASSIC FM COLLECTOR'S CHOICE
GOLDBERG MAGAZINE 50 DISCS OF THE DECADE
‘Thoughtful, respectful, inspirational playing, a perfectly-placed recording, stimulating notes … this is a fine achievement’ (BBC Radio 3 CD Review)
‘Some of the best Bach playing I've heard since Casals’ (BBC Radio 3 CD Review)
‘This is the most wonderful cello-playing, surely among the most consistently beautiful to have been heard in this demanding music, as well as the most musically alert and vivid … few will fail t ...