It is significant in two respects that we have this recording of the
six Bach cello suites. First of all, we can trace in Mary Costanza a
performance tradition with lineage back to Pablo Casals. Her teacher was the
Canadian cellist Zara Nelsova, who studied these works with the master
himself. Secondly, it was his 1930s HMV recordings that Costanza listened to
as a young girl, and from which she drew inspiration. The boy Casals had
stumbled upon the Grützmacher edition of the works in a second-hand
bookshop in Barcelona, and was responsible for bringing them into prominence
as an integral part of the cello repertoire. They were thus saved from
languishing in obscurity having previously been regarded primarily as mere
technical exercises.
Composed in Cöthen around 1720 when Bach was in the service of
Prince Leopold, they form part of a group of secular works which were penned
by the composer around this time. For once, not being in the service of the
Church, he devoted his energies to these suites, the solo Violin Sonatas and
Partitas, the Brandenburg Concertos and the two books of the Well-Tempered
Clavier.
The Six Cello Suites are now considered staple fare and the field is
awash with countless recordings. Some of the versions I am particularly fond
of are those by Fournier, the earlier Tortelier, Rostropovich, Janigro,
Yo-Yo Ma (1983) and Maurice Gendron. I listen to them often and, together
with the Violin Sonatas and Partitas, I find them both intellectually
stimulating and a means of cleansing the aural palate. Any performer coming
new to these works faces a daunting task, being confronted by so much
illustrious competition.
Each of the suites begins with a prelude followed by a set of dance
movements. Costanza’s preludes are beautifully realized, never
sounding mechanical or wooden, or with that rigidity one sometimes
encounters. I detect great flexibility in her playing. The dance movements
all have energy and drive, with crisp articulation. The sarabandes are
beautifully phrased. She brings to these works a wealth of imagination. The
Suite no. 5 in c minor, my favourite of the set, is permeated with a deep
melancholy and introspection.
Costanza produces a rich, full-blooded tone on her 1832 Giovanni
Dollenz cello, using her own edited version of the Suites, which she
eventually hopes to publish. Her performances evince an innate sense of
style. Pacing, phrasing, tempi and dynamic contrasts are all convincing.
Intonation is spotless. Her technique is formidable and she performs these
masterworks in a cultivated and compelling way.
The 1982 Tortelier cycle was recorded in Temple Church, London, and
is marred by an over-resonant acoustic. The Rostropovich traversal from 1991
was also recorded in a similar cavernous church acoustic, but with more
success. This impacts adversely on two otherwise distinguished sets in that
too much resonance can obscure detail. Conversely, Fournier and Yo-Yo Ma
(1
st recording, 1983 ) are furnished with an ideal acoustic, one
which allows the detail to emerge. Elfer’s Hall places
Costanza’s recording between these two extremes. Whilst the venue
confers a certain amount of resonance, it is neither undue nor are detail
and clarity sacrificed. The cello sound is not too forward, and unlike the
Tortelier (1982), the playing is not ‘in your face’.
These performances augment an already well-represented catalogue,
and admirers of these works will not be disappointed. I found them an
enriching experience.
Stephen Greenbank
Masterwork Index:
Bach cello
suites
