This disc by German cellist
Jan Vogler ingeniously couples Bach's three sonatas for viola da gamba with transcriptions of nine chorale preludes, balancing the more strenuous sonatas with the more lyrical chorales. Unfortunately,
Vogler, while a first-rate cellist with a warm tone and an impeccable technique, appears better suited for the lyrical chorales than the strenuous sonatas. In the chorales,
Vogler seems to be more himself, more relaxed yet more intense, more expressive but also more controlled, and the music sounds fully heartfelt. In the sonatas, though, the German cellist seems more above the notes than below them; that is, he dispatches them with aplomb but doesn't seem to get very far into their meaning. The fast movements rattle by while the slow movements are much too placid. Still, these are by no means poor performances, and the inclusion of the nine chorales makes this disc much more appealing than it otherwise might have been. Pianist
Martin Stadtfeld, while clearly a superb player, seems a bit heavy handed in his accompaniments. Sony's sound may be too close and too intimate for some listeners.