Alisa Weilerstein Bach Cello Suites (Pentatone PTC5186 751) Recorded 2019
Introduction.
Alisa Weilerstein laid down this recording alongside a concert tour of the Suites in 2019. Indeed, by the time I had the privilege of seeing a performance in Manchester, she must have been applying the finishing touches to her set. Whilst I have been eagerly awaiting this release, I admit I approached her recording with some trepidation. From experience, recordings often don’t reproduce the magic of live performances. That may be a bias of my aural memory! I need not have worried. On playing the set twice, and looking back at my earlier review, there seems to be a remarkable consistency in perceptions of the two.
At which point I could cease this review and just say please read my earlier one! But, in the interests of giving readers their money’s worth, I will give it a go….
The Recording.
Firstly, I will offer some preliminary comments. Whilst, no details are given of Ms Weilerstein’s chosen cello in the booklet, I assume it is a 1723 Montagnana which she part owns and started playing in 2017. Whoever made it, the cello is a magnificent instrument. It produces a full rich and golden tone. There are also no indications in the notes of a change from this to a different 5 string instrument for the 6th Suite. Given the tone remains remarkably consistent, I will assume not.
The recording quality itself is very good, with a slightly forward cello but in a natural acoustic. Mercifully the whole performance is free from my bête noire of finger board tapping sounds, which just goes to show it can be done!
Order!
Concert presentation of the Suites was in numerical order. Here the order is 1,3,6,2,4,5. I would prefer to hear them finish on the 6th, which to my mind remains most effective. It transpires it would prove practically impossible to keep the set to the normal 2 discs if this order were preserved. This is because Ms Weilerstein’s performances come in at a whopping and exceptional 2 hours 41 minutes! By way of example: the booklet suggests the 6th Suite is a 25 minute piece. Granted that is a bit of a generalisation, but Alisa’s version is nowhere near that, clocking in at 34 minutes.
The booklet.
Interestingly, in the booklet, the now 37 year old Ms Weilerstein comments how her original plan was to wait until she was much older before setting down her thoughts. Subsequently, she came to decide this prudence was unnecessary as to do so shows a misunderstanding of the Suites nature. As she puts it “The intrinsic impossibility of this music is the very source of its freedom”. So, let’s turn to the listening sessions.
The Music.
In the 1st Suite Prelude there is no smoothing out to emphasise the lovely simple and inviting melody. Instead Alisa adopts a real rhythmic edge and there is great dynamic variation. It certainly grabs the attention, without in any way crossing the line into pretentiousness.
The following Allemande in contrast flows beautifully, with the gorgeous deep tone of the presumed Montagnana much in evidence.
The Courante was for sure moderately paced and quite unlike HIP or even traditional approaches, however, it feels sparky and shows great variety and imagination.
The following Sarabande has a real feel for the line, with beautiful colouration to the sound. There is plenty of rubato, but with spot on application remaining tasteful throughout. It feels like she is playing inside the music, not from the outside looking in, which to my mind is how it should be approached. Despite unusual timings, my intuition was that there were no affectations to her playing, nor indeed any showy theatrics, just a deep feeling for the music itself.
I became immersed.
At this point, I am embarrassed to say as a putative critic, my notes as written became very sparse as I was sitting there with a big grin on my face and found it difficult to do anything but just immerse myself in what I was hearing!
From what I do have written, I will offer just a few signposts.
There was no rushing or flippancy in the 3rd Suite Prelude. cf Watkin. The Gigue, whilst having the requisite bounce was also stentorian in the louder passages.
The 6th Suite’s Prelude has pretty dramatic contrasts in the loud/soft call and response sections. Rubato as elsewhere was applied in abundance but very effectively. Spontaneity was also very evident, together with great subtlety of phrasing concluding with a perfectly controlled decay on the final note.
The nine minute Allemende.
Clocking in at a fairly lengthy 9 minutes the Allemande was nevertheless wonderfully expressive, and had glorious control of the long flowing lines. Rubato was always in service of the music, and ornamentation was tasteful. I wrote down that I felt the cellist was “communing with a higher power”. This was, amongst many others, my absolute highlight of the set, and I doubt I will ever hear better.
My favourite Sarabande.
My favourite, the Sarabande of the same Suite is also exceptional. The chord oriented lines provide rich overtones. Pacing and dynamic variation also seemed to me spot on. All of this is achieved whilst retaining the requisite pathos inherent in the movement. Again, at the end, the performer produces a perfectly judged fade out. At no point did I feel Ms Weilerstein’s interpretive decisions were over egging the pudding. Indeed, this may again prove my favourite version of all. Only Ma’s 3rd recording, with admittedly a totally different approach, comes to mind as a competitor.
Fantasy at work.
The 2nd Suite Prelude had a real sense of mystery about it with notable and effective use of hung time at the end of phrases. I noted that it was a performance a world away from an exercise being played out, but instead was a fantasy at work.
The Courante was, if not fast, appropriately energetic.
The Sarabande was lyrical, appreciably felt, and followed the contours of the music admirably.
The Minuets had nice contrasts, were well pointed, and demonstrated some lovely delicate and light application of the bow.
Fourth Suite memories.
I recall enjoying the 4th Suite also but have no notes on this, which is interesting since, as I recall it, this was the ones that impacted on me less in live performance….
The set closes with the demanding 5th Suite. The Prelude opens with plenty of light and shade in the slow introduction. Then leads to a moderately paced fugue section but still with plenty of variety to the fore.
The Allemande at last raised minor quibbles in my mind (as I was by this stage desperately seeking a balance to my generally ecstatic review…). The staccato notes perhaps were a bit too prevalent and slightly disjointing to the line. However, I may be clutching at straws here, as it was a no less valid approach to take.
By the time we got to the closing Gigue though, via another gem of a Sarabande at the Suite’s heart, all was again well with the world, ending with a suitable flourish and a close fading out into infinity.
Summarising.
If I appear to have written a fair bit on the Suites (having declared earlier that I had stopped writing many notes!) I will admit to some of the comments representing my lasting memories of what I had heard.
I ask myself if this performance was definitive and potentially even perfection? Of course, in truth such suggestions would be nonsense given the infinite performance possibilities available for these Suites.
What I would say is that I feel extremely comfortable with the choices Ms Weilerstein has made in setting down her interpretation.
There was always great imagination at work, a supreme balance of gravitas and playfulness as appropriate, and a vision that for me paid due homage to the composer’s undoubted masterpiece. To be fair some may find the quicker dance movements lack a certain fire that sets the blood pumping, but I felt there were plentiful compensations.
Conclusion.
In my humble estimation this is ultimately a set for the ages. It now comfortably sits at my top table with Maisky’s 1st DG recording, and Ma’smore recent and stated final recording of the Suites. Indeed, it may well be the best one of all of them. It frankly demands to be heard by all lovers of Bach, and I look forward with interest to what Ms Weilerstein may make of them if she ever does produce the original planned recording in her more mature years.
Mark.