Guido Schiefen's 1996 recordings of J.S. Bach's six unaccompanied cello suites are respectable presentations, and anyone who needs to fill a gap in a budding CD collection would do well to consider this affordable double-disc set from Arte Nova. While these interpretations are not as revolutionary as
Pablo Casals' historic 1938 recording for EMI, as legendary as
Pierre Fournier's 1960 set on Archiv, or as popular as
Yo-Yo Ma's 1983 and 1997 traversals for Sony, they merit a hearing for their rich tone, expressive warmth, and flexible interpretation, all traits that make this package listenable, if not yet a revered classic. At times,
Schiefen's sound gets a little too big and booming in the bass, and his rubato is often exaggerated in dramatic cadences, but for the most part he resists the urge for the grand Romantic gesture, and he is subtle in his phrasing and handling of Bach's numerous sequential patterns. The variety of expressions here keeps the music fresh and lively, and
Schiefen's overall mood seems buoyant and energetic, always a plus for these works, which sometimes suffer from overly serious intentions. Arte Nova's recording is nicely balanced between a live background ambience and close-up and vibrant string tone, so
Schiefen's playing has resinous grit as well as gratifying resonance.