Lynn Harrell. Bach Cello Suites. Decca Virtuoso 4830430. Budget re issue in 2016 of recording from 1985.
No details supplied of recording venue or cello used.
The Cellist.
Lynn Harrell, an American, came to the fore as a soloist in the 70s and 80s. He was a pupil of Leonard Rose and came to own a Montagnana cello fairly early on in his solo career so that may be the instrument played on this recording.
The Recording.
The acoustic on this recording is rather dry. There is audible echo at the end of passages but I suspect I am hearing the effects of early “glassy” digital recording. There is no apparent compression.
The music.
Overall, the approach Harrell has taken appears to be to sit very much in the romantic camp. There is full bodied tone with plenty of vibrato. Slightly at odds with that is the faster movements’ very marked articulation of notes which if not separate bowed are “detache” bowed. Here several notes are played within one bow but separated out by varying pressure on the bow.
I did feel that sometimes the notes in lower registers sounded forced and did not resonate fully. However, in the upper registers Harrell’s playing has a pureness and sweetness matched by few others.
Another point I noticed was that the performer uses very little rubato in his playing. Sometimes I would describe it as metronomic. i.e very regular, but with rhythm and attack which make for significant interest.
What stood out quite dramatically in many movements were the contrasts in volume. There are huge variations in loudness, with incredibly quiet passages which actually sounded quite weird! For quieter passages, it was almost as if the producer had whisked Harrell off into a broom cupboard. Then, brought him back into the main studio for a louder section. It really did seem like the cellist had disappeared into the background.
The contrast extends to the speed with which the various movements are played. Gigues particularly are very fast the 4thSuite Gigue particularly so. I was left thinking the sound was like the annoying buzz of a blue bottle. Not one of the highlights!
In contrast, the Sarabandes are worthy of mention getting large dollops of syrupy sweet sound delivered slowly and deliberately but with obvious heart felt emotion. The famous 5thSuite Sarabande was impressive, with even a hint of glissando.
Detail.
Specific highlights include the 6thSuite Prelude which was fast and passionate and very exciting. It was difficult to imagine cello and bow escaping unscathed after that performance!
There was an interesting repeat in the second Gavotte of this Suite where it was played “sul ponticello” (very close to the bridge). This sounded quite eerie and effective. I did note that some of the movements in this Suite lacked a second repeat which may have been a necessity to get the last 3 Suites on one CD.
Conclusion.
In summary, I would suggest this is a very personal and idiosyncratic rendition. I don’t think it is one that listeners would either love or hate. I think it is one that the listener will love some bits and dislike others. Definitely of interest and no doubting the passion of the performance.
For more insights, read this interview with Lynn Harrell.
http://www.cello.org/Newsletter/Articles/harrell.html
Charles.