Alexander Rudin. Bach Cello Suites. Naxos 8.555992-93 Released 2002
Recorded in the Small Hall, Moscow Conservatory, Moscow, Russia 2000
Rudin plays a 1740 Montagnana cello. In sixth suite a “contemporary” five-string cello.
The cellist
Alexander Rudin is a new name to me. When purchasing this CD, the main incentive was its very cheap price on the used market. (£3.85 inc postage).
Consequently, I was not in a rush to sit down and listen, but once I did, due to COVID-19 limitations, what a revelation!
The Recording.
Firstly, I am struck by a combination of legato playing and rhythmicity. Then there is the tone of the cello. I can best describe the tone as being like a superb sherry trifle. The lower notes are full and resonant as befits the best fruit. The middle notes are clear and crisp like a perfect sponge; soft not soggy. The top register is like the best fresh cream smooth and beguiling! All held together by the ideal jelly; soft and yielding but not too tough.
What about the sherry you might ask? This has to be Oloroso dry but rich in flavour and body. The dryness comes from the lack of vibrato as this is a performance focussed on being historically informed. Having said that, I suspect this recording uses a cello with modern set up. There is none of the rasping tone of gut strings but there is wide dynamic variation. I could be wrong; but there is no information relating to this. There are more recent videos on line that show Rudin playing with standard bow but no end pin.
The Music.
Rudin’s phrasing is a joy to listen to with the attention constantly being drawn in to interesting shapes and contrasts between different passages. Something I became aware of after the first three Suites was the fractional gap between phrases which emphasises and sharpens the relief of the musical landscape which Rudin so adeptly paints. I have not been aware of other performers using this technique.
The detail.
Looking in more detail at the fourth Suite, the Prelude is performed in the most coherent manner I have come across. Specifically, the transition from falling and rising quavers to the rapid semiquaver passage in the middle and back again to the quavers. This section is managed without the stop start and sense of incongruence of so many performances. The Allemende is played with an exquisite light touch and still a sense of rhythm. This is repeated in most of the Allemandes across the six Suites. The final sixth being perhaps a less engaging one tending to lose my attention. Perhaps not so surprising as it is very long.
The Courante demonstrates Rudin’s great facility and ability to articulate fast passages. He plays the Sarabande with great grace in a generally subdued tone but still retains rhythm. The Bourrees contrast well with a very lively first dance and a contrasting quiet but simple second dance. The Gigue in this fourth Suite, being mainly a succession of triplets can sound a bit like a study in some performers hands but Rudin choses a pace which is not too fast and leaves time to shape and reveal plenty of interest to the listener.
The fifth Sarabande.
One other movement which strikes me as being different is the famous Sarabande of the fifth Suite. This starts off with separate bowing for four bars, then single bows for the next four bars. The pace is pretty brisk but then slows for the repeat. In the second half, the degree of hesitation before landing on the bottom note of each phrase seems just a little much. I am not sure if I like this level of contrast or not, but it is clearly very thoroughly thought through. I think I do prefer Isserlis’ interpretation of this movement.
An added extra.
The added bonus with this disc is an adaption of the Chaconne from partita no 2 in D minor arranged by Rudin himself. It is breath-taking.
Conclusion.
Overall a great recording and one I recommend without reservation. Full marks to the producers and engineers who managed to obliterate any sense of influence from the surrounds and therefore focus on the cello alone.
My research after listening to this recording revealed the artist to be extensively recorded across all genres. I can recommend further reading and listening as below.
Charles.
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Rudin-Alexander.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvdE7QKhsr4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F4eWdwtwdA
Charles has already reviewed this recording in some detail so I will confine my comments to a few brief thoughts. In his review Charles was mightily impressed and subsequently put forward Rudin for the Safe Bets and Traditional categories of our Favourite Fives found elsewhere on our site. I am overall content with these choices as Rudin strikes me as a solid all round choice.
The Recording.
The readings strike me as technically very competent and possessing enough of interest to engage both the seasoned and first time listener to the Suites. In general they are not readings designed to quicken the pulse (4th Suite Courante one honourable exception) or to reveal hitherto unnoticed details, but they still reveal much of the glory of Bach’s pieces which unfold in a natural and for me traditional manner. Inevitably after hearing so many versions now there will be something which does grate a little. Here it is the 5th Suite Sarabande, which in its emphasis on sustaining a melodic line does seem too quick and lacking in that essential sense of mystery contained within it. However, this is not enough to knock Rudin off the recommendable perch.
The recording itself is very good, being slightly on the dry side but not masking in any way the cello or the natural soundstage. This in itself I found interesting as Russia (Moscow in this case) has been a graveyard for many recordings quality wise in the past (Melodiya being a common villain here). Turning to the cello the Montagnana is another gem (how many is that now from this maker in our Bach explorations?) In fact, I commented to Charles that I was now personally of the view that he was the greatest of all cello makers (with apologies to all devoted Stradivarians!).
Conclusion.
One final comment on this version of the Suites is yet again we have a relatively unknown cellist, in the West at least, who faced with Bach’s daunting challenges has again rose to the occasion. This seems to me to be another gift that Bach left us in his pieces as they truly draws out the best from performers.
Mark.