David Kennedy. Bach Cello Suites. Signum Classics SIGNUMCD091 Released 2007.
Kenedy plays a cello by Carlo Ferdinando Landolfi of Milan in 1758.
Recorded at the Manoukian Music Centre Westminster Great School London, over 6 days August to Dec 2005.
Other notes: “The sixth Suite is played on a four string cello”
The cellist.
David Kennedy is a professor of the cello at the Trinity Laban School of music. His career includes recitals mixing solo cello work with trio and quartet chamber music.
The booklet that accompanies this release is worthy of note for the personal insight given by Kennedy. For example, in the notes he writes a clear exposition of the similarities and differences of the six Suites. I am left with a strong sense that the Suites represent a personal journey through the performer’s life up to his current “maturity.”
The recording.
The recording itself is good quality with full range of tone. There is a broad sound stage. But no excessive reverberation or echo. I can only pick up very minimal breathing and no fingerboard noises of note.
The music.
What then of the musical interpretation? This is a case of a recording sounding like it is described in the booklet. Not as common as one might think! The first Prelude does sound innocent and optimistic. The second intimate and fragile, and finally the third, grand confident and self possessed.
Different moods.
Kennedy is clearly able to use a wide variety of techniques. He uses differing tone to convey the different moods that he perceives in these first three Suites. And, I have to say, in a most convincing manner.
Kenedy, plays the formal dance movements with style and rhythm. Importantly, I find this refreshing, as often I simply cannot envisage dancers of Bach’s period moving in a meaningful manner. No problem with Kennedy’s performance! For these dances Kennedy employs a light highly articulated bowing which had my toes tapping straight away.
Technical demands.
This does continue into the other three suites but less effectively in my view, There is, I suspect constraint by the technical demands of these pieces particularly the sixth.
In playing the fifth Sarabande with beauty and and amazing evenness of tone, Kenedy conveys a sense of movement like an ice skater. The sixth Gigue he plays surprisingly slowly. He sounds dare I say it, keen to avoid the challenges met by even the most virtuosic performers who play this at pace.
Conclusion.
In conclusion, would make a reserved recommendation of this recording. This is on the basis of the first CD (Suites one to three). A further note of caution is that CD2 is 78 minutes long which stretches the CD capacity to the limit. My Meridian CD player could not load it up so I had to audition after ripping to the hard drive of my computer.
The bonus is that this CD can be purchased used at very reasonable prices from the usual internet sites.
Charles.