Wolfgang Boettcher's performances of
Bach's six cello suites have everything one could want in terms of technique and interpretation.
Boettcher can handle the long legato phrases, the lithe sixteenth-note lines, and the double- and triple-stopped sonorities with apparent ease. He takes on anything from the open-hearted happiness of the G major Suite to the dark night of the soul despair of the C minor Suite to the supreme joy of the D major Suite, and wrings wholly persuasive performances out of them. As fine as
Boettcher's suites are separately, they are even better as a cycle, with the juxtaposition of the separate works and the progression of their effects producing a deeper and even more meaningful musical experience. Recorded in astoundingly vivid digital sound in October 2000 and March 2001,
Boettcher's performances, while they may not be a first choice for listeners new to
Bach's cello suites, should be heard by anyone who enjoys this music.