Viola De Hoog Bach Cello Suites. CD Vivat 107. Released 2014.
Recorded Feb 10-12 & 25-27 2014 at the De Oude Dorpskerk, Netherlands.
Cellos played: Giovanni Battista Guadagnini c. 1750. Suites 1-5.
Recently restored 5 string cello of Bohemia c. 1780. Suite 6.
Detailed notes provided of the Baroque set up.
The Cellist.
Viola de Hoog is yet another Dutch cellist with exemplary credentials. She studied under Anner Bylsma, and has been a member of the Schőnberg Quartet for twenty years. This release of the Bach Cello Suites appears to be her first solo outing and has since been followed by a performance of the Mendelsohn cello sonatas using baroque instrumentation.
The Recording.
It always surprises me that classical record labels seem to feel they need to lure unwitting purchasers with gimmicks or alluring covers. Vivat have chosen a new one for me of offering this very well packaged 2CD recording as buy one CD and get the other free. The price may be modest for a 2CD package but it is so obviously nonsense that it seems a distraction! No car manufacturer would offer a car with two “free” wheels. Neither the car nor this CD would be complete without the full set!
The booklet.
Having said all the above, this is an excellent package with extensive and useful notes including a section by the performer which I feel is a “must” but often absent. Full details of strings, bow and tuning used are provided.
To be HIP or not?
This is clearly a performance with authentic baroque instrumentation and set up. However, I would fall short of describing it as a Historically informed performance (HIP). The main feature I would use as evidence of this statement is the legato playing. This gives a lovely fluid character to the melodic playing. There is full sustain where annotated as opposed to the shortened cut off notes we expect from HIP. I think I can hear some vibrato but certainly very sparing. The tone is light and unforced, basically a very easy on the ears sound.
Quality of the Recording.
This recording is technically excellent with the cello placed a little back in the sound stage, not too close miked with minimally intrusive breathing or fingerboard noises. The full range of the cello is well captured. I was fully expecting a rather weedy sound for the sixth Suite from the five string cello. Instead, if anything it seems to have a richer sound in the lower registers than the Guadagnini. I did note that in the sixth Prelude the upper registers did not sing out as well as they do in other performances.
The Music.
The order of the Suites was 1,4,5 CD1 then 3,2,6 CD2 . Not sure why the 2nd and third Suites were back to front and could find no explanation in the booklet. It would seem churlish to complain as CD2 was free of course!
The importance of the accompanist.
One of the interesting discources in De Hoogs booklet contribution was a quote from Johann Joachim Quantz, who I presume was a teacher of the cello. He wrote in 1752 about how important the continuo cello was for both the music itself and its performance. A good accompanying cellist would allow a soloist to express themselves fully.
The relevance to the Suites for cello is clearly that in much of this music the single cellist fulfils the position of accompanist and soloist through the brilliance of Bach’s composing.
This is clearly of great importance to De Hoog and comes through time and again in her playing. Particularly in the Preludes, Allemandes and Courantes there were lengthy passages where one could fully envisage two individual cellists playing the music. That I believe is a credit to the performer that she can create that illusion without excessive emphasis on key notes. I would point to the fifth Prelude as an excellent example of this.
The Sarabandes.
The Sarabandes were played with great care, gentleness and no doubt love. I particularly enjoyed some of the “embellishments.” By this I mean additional notes particularly in the cadences of movements. There is interesting variety of ornamentation.
Faster movements perhaps lacked the articulation that many cellists in the HIP camp use and sometimes particularly in the Gigues this led to a little smudging of the notes.
Dynamics.
Overall, I feel there is probably not as much dynamic variation as some performers achieve. I didn’t miss it, as interest is sustained by the phrasing and shaping of the music. Again, my impression was that there was little stretching of timings but that might be a testimony to how well any rubato was used. I suspect it is something one becomes more aware of the less appropriate it is!
An example of how well De Hoog creates a soundscape is the Prelude to the second Suite. This sombre minor keyed movement felt really bleak and holds me in a deep dark place for all of its 4 minutes.
The important sixth Suite.
The sixth Gigue was a little disappointing. It started in rather a tentative way, so I thought the performer was keeping something in reserve, but it never quite happened although the sublime double stopping passages were beautifully played, sustaining the melody right across each two and three bar section.
Conclusion.
In summary, this is a lovely rendition that brings new aspects to the playing of the Suites. If refinement, gentleness, thoughtfulness and love of music are important to you, then pick up a copy of this CD, but don’t forget your free CD2!
Charles.