Admirers of the six cello suites of
J.S. Bach would do well to investigate the three cello suites of
Benjamin Britten, especially if they are in search of a modern updating of the genre.
Britten composed these solo works for the great cellist
Mstislav Rostropovich, and in addition to writing for his extraordinary capabilities,
Britten clearly had
Bach's music in mind. Insofar as the cello suites incorporate both Baroque and later forms, and display all of
Britten's ingenuity and craft in what is one of the most exposed and unforgiving of musical mediums, these works could be regarded as both an homage to
Bach and as a kind of summation of modern cello techniques. Yet
Britten's fertile imagination for instrumental effects and sense for the long, lyrical line keep these works from sounding like slavish imitations of
Bach's dance-oriented suites, or a catalog of extended effects. Indeed, a somber, even meditative, mood runs through the suites that gives the music an elegiac cast, which identifies the expression as
Britten's, and their frequent passages in the style of vocal arias are reminders that
Britten composed them as a sideline between his operas.
Daniel Müller-Schott takes possession of the music and shapes the suites to his control and artistry, and the performances feel unique and deeply personal in his hands. Add to this Orfeo's close but unobtrusive recording and the responsive but not overly resonant room, and this album should fulfill expectations of devoted
Britten fans and cello aficionados alike. Highly recommended.