Henrik Dam Thomsen Six Suites for Cello Solo (Our Recordings 8.226921/2) Recorded 2024
Henrik Dam Thomsen is listed as the solo cellist with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. His instrument of choice is a Francesco Ruggieri cello (1680) which he also uses in the 6th Suite. The booklet also indicates that he uses modern strings. As for the recording location, the Garrison Church in Copenhagen was chosen, as it provided a large Baroque interior with a wooden floor and two gallery levels. It was considered that this provided a very good acoustic, with a large but well controlled sound. So, let’s consider how all this translates into the performance…
From the start of the 1st Suite (Thomsen gratifyingly plays them all in numeric order for the set) the big sound is apparent in the Prelude. Immediately, I sensed a special instrument with a deep rich bass sound, but in no way deficient throughout the full range of the cello. The soundstage was a bit forward of the speaker plane, and frankly, so loud I had to turn the volume down from my normal Bach Suites listening level. As for pacing, this was moderate and signalled a performance that was throughout the set (with one notable exception, about more anon) a mainstream/traditional reading. Playing here was clean, which was not so evident as the Suites progressed. The following Allemande had great attention to the long line with a practically unbroken flow. The Courante was sprightly rather than quick and needed a bit more bounce to it. By the Sarabande I had become very aware that Thomsen’s playing really lacked dynamic contrasts, whereas his different pacing and rubato were nicely executed. The Minuets lacked contrast, and the Gigue felt a little undercooked. I did conclude that Thomsen might be seeing the 1st Suite as a more courtly one than normal, so I ploughed on.
The first 2 Movements of the 2nd Suite, I noted, could both have been Preludes in practice, as there was little difference. He did at least allow the sound to swell where appropriate in the Allemande. As we moved to the Courante, I had a sudden jolt as he really let rip in what was a spikey attack at what felt like a breathtaking speed (timed at 1:57 in toto). The playing was clean too, which suggested that he was making choices, rather than flagging deficiencies in technique in the earlier parts of the set. The Sarabande had his own stamp on it too, with signs he was now starting to interpret the pieces more. Trills at phrase endings were extended to good effect, and at several points I noticed bars would end with a sigh. In the Minuets, a sense of Déjà Vu was to return though, as the speed was slow, and the dances were more a heavy than dainty tread. The following Gigue had good bounce to it but, despite the high recorded volume (which I was now finding a tad wearing in the confines of my lounge) I became aware of significant fingerboard tapping in the background. This was to persist as the Suites progressed, albeit in some cases it did not affect the listening experience too much.
The 3rd Suite’s Prelude had a truly bold entry, which was, yet again, followed by a performance focussed on the flow of the music, rather than any other momentary felicities. The Allemande did have light and shade and a joyful skip to it. It was still somewhat full on though, with further tapping intrusions. However, it did feel quite joyful, and I sensed Thomsen himself could have been smiling throughout. The Courante felt a bit like a technical exercise to me. The Sarabande though was rather good. Here, Thomsen did have plenty of sigh and moan in his playing (in a good way!) and the harmonics of the piece really came through well perhaps, for once, aided by the acoustic. In the Bourrées the cellist’s breathing mirrored the push and pull of the phrases, and there was definite bounce in the performance. However, the 2nd Bourree lacked enough contrast with the 1st. The Gigue was fine, bringing the Suite joyfully to an end.
The 4th Suite Prelude had real body to it, presumably helped by the Church acoustic, which supported plenty of reverberation, and felt right for the piece. I was aware by now that the irritating mechanical noises were not aided by Thomsen opting to dig deep into the strings as a default in most parts of the set. The Allemande was also greatly affected, which was a shame as the Movement was navigated quite well. The Courante had a decent clip, and again I had this feeling that Thomsen was enjoying playing the Suites, as of course a cellist should! The Sarabande though was mournful (in a good way) but the staccato notes mid phrasings did jar a little. The Bourrées had a little contrast with, I sensed, a drop in momentum for the 2nd one. Playing throughout though was lighter and jaunty rhythms were to the fore. The concluding Gigue flowed well, with long continuous lines, but the accompanying fireworks again were of the wrong type!
The 5th Suite Prelude had another big and bold entry and here the acoustic did seem to add to the colours on display. I made a note that some may find it a tad sedate, but it felt on the right side of that to me. The Allemande lacked dynamic contrast, and I felt underplayed the interpretive opportunities available. It was also a stop start rendition, rather than the seamless lines Thomsen had favoured earlier in the set. In the Courante I noted that Thomsen really dug into the strings, but I didn’t feel it quite jaunty enough (and personally prefer a lighter approach to the Movement anyway). For the Sarabande, we were back to the seamless line approach and, finally, we had the call and echo effects common to many other performances of the Suites. Unfortunately, the sustained lines left little room for the silences that typically make the Movement sound so mysterious. The Gavottes started in a tired fashion, but speeds did pick up (especially in the buzzing insect attack sounding 2nd Gavotte. For the closing Gigue, I just wrote down “there is no Jig in this Gigue”! I felt that the performance would benefit from lighter bowing too.
So, we come to the final 6th Suite. The Prelude had a nice bounce (like a galloping horse) and call and response elements returned, with copious colours on display to. Some others have achieved more though by setting a faster clip to the proceedings. The following showpiece Allemande, truthfully the finest one in the Suites, was well executed. Thomsen had an iron grip on the structure of the Movement, and I bought into his vision for it. The Courante was playful, and Thomsen evidently lightened his bowing to good effect. This suggests the predominant heavier sound in the set overall results from interpretive choices he has made. The Sarabande is not delicate or contemplative with Thomsen choosing to lean into the notes for effect. He seems to be relishing the luxuriant sound of his cello, but there does seem little contemplation or regret in the sound. Some will like, others not so much. The 1st Gavotte bounces along with staccato notes to the fore, but there is not enough contrast in the 2nd. As he commenced the final Gigue there were little hesitations in the opening phrase that seemed to heighten the sense that we were approaching the end of the set (although conversely the closing phrases rather fizzled out!) Playing of the Movement was brusque but didn’t lack joy. Dynamics were dialled up a notch though, again some will love, some won’t….
This has proven an interesting set to review, but not so easy drawing conclusions. I approach my reviews with two plays of a set, the first to acclimatise with the approach and sound, the second a more critical listening. In Thomsen’s case, first time around I indicated to Charles that we may have another possible for the safe bet list. It felt comparable to a version such as Meneses (which is for its part very good). After the critical listen, and as my review above suggests, it has fallen away from that pedestal. I don’t dislike it as such, but it was a bit four square for me and (even setting aside some technical irritations) it lacked interpretive qualities and contrast in the dynamics. However, some may favour the straightforward approach, as I discerned it, and there is no doubt the cello itself was superb example of its kind. So, in conclusion, if you favour this type of approach please do sample it, but if you like to hear something more original being brought to the party, perhaps look elsewhere.
Mark.