this recording. There are also some intonation problems in movements are rather slow too: e.g.
e.g. the Minuet of Suite
Veni sancte spmtus and Victimae paschah laudes, some un-
evenness in the trebles in Benedicamus Domino and a lack
of rhythmic distinction in the second part ofAve virgoglo-
nosa Nevertheless, the separate identies of the contra-
puntal lines are for the most part precise and controlled, as
is notably the case in the Requiem, even though here the
underlay clearly indicated in the original sources is not
always respected, while the plainchant preceding the Sanc-
tus is inexplicably omitted. However, this recording makes
an important contribution to our understanding of Du
Caurroy's still somewhat neglected sacred music This
neglect will soon be remedied by the forthcoming publica-
tion of the complete works, whose first volume, including
the motets, is to appear shortly
translated by Frank Dobbins
John Butt
Bach cello suites
For some years there was really only one readily available
recording of the Bach suites for cello on a Baroque instru-
ment, an astonishingly durable performance by Anner
Bylsma. Others such as Pieter Wispelwey have joined him
and we also now have a second recording by Bylsma The
two most recent recordings show, at the very least, the
remarkable variety of approach that is now possible within
the medium of Baroque cello this suggests that the histor-
ical performance movement is certainly not as standard-
ized as some of its detractors might claim, but also, on the
other hand, that the choice of period instrument does not
necessarily dictate a single, authentic, style of perfor-
mance.
In some ways, these two latest performers represent
opposite ends of a spectrum: Paolo Beschi's recording
Johann Sebastian Bach: Violoncello solo suites (Winter
& Winter, Basic Edition, 910 001-2, 910 027-2, rec 1996-8)
provides driven, sometimes aggressive performances,
while Jaap ter Linden's J. S. Bach: Six cello suites
(Harmonia Mundi France, HMU 907216.17, rec 1996) are
much gentler, lingering somewhere between the under-
stated and the subtle. Beschi's fast movements are often
characterized by their unusually quick tempos (such
as the preludes of the first two suites), while Linden's
slow movements can sometimes be virtually glacial (e.g.
the Sarabande of the fourth suite). Some of the faster
340 EARLY MUSIC MAY 1 9 9 9
no.2 and the Gigue concluding Suite no 5. In most of
these cases Linden manages to preserve something of the
rhythmic flavour of the respective dances and a subtlety
of metrical division, but one could hardly call them exhil-
arating
Both players are most consistently at their best in the
slower movements. Linden attains his most musical per-
formances in allemandes and sarabandes. in the Alle-
mande of Suite no.3 he maintains a flowing line in the face
of a large variety of texture, and the upbeats of the Sara-
bande of Suite no.5 remain buoyant despite the mesmeric
progress of the line. Beschi also produces well-paced alle-
Downloaded from http://em.oxfordjournals.org/ at Florida Atlantic University on May 24, 2015
mandes, although these are sometimes rather steely and
tense (e g. Suite no.6), the Sarabande of Suite no.4 is much
more articulated than Linden's, but the line is thus nicely
inflected Linden also produces some excellent courantes-
that of Suite no.4 is elegant, if a little busy, and the detail of
the Courante of Suite no.5 is, for me, one of the high spots
of his recording Some other dances do not quite achieve
this poise' the second beats in each bar of the Minuet of
Suite no.i are rather 'dead', pointing neither back to the
first beat nor forward to the third, the dactylic rhythms of
the Bouree of Suite no 4 are rather downbeat oriented
(and perhaps thus lack momentum) and the Gavotte of
Suite no.5 is rather lethargic
Beschi's performances could never be considered
soporific, for one thing, they are apparently recorded 'with
no processing' (which must account, partly, for the aston-
ishingly large number of days the recording took) Often
we get the impression of a caffeinated near-perfect take
achieved after several fretful hours on each movement.
Moreover, he is recorded very closely, which means we
hear a considerable amount of breathing, scratchiness in
bow strokes and slapping left-hand fingers. (One slap in
the sixth prelude almost induces shock.) Whether because
of the microphone placement or because of Beschi's bow-
ing style, many fast movements contain quite ugly sounds'
e.g. the upbeats of the Gigue of Suite no.2, the separate
bows of the Courante of Suite no.3 and the rustic topic in
the Gigue from the same suite which is almost rendered
like Bartok What obviously depends on Beschi and not
on the recording technique is the extremely aggressive
approach to much of this music Sometimes this brings
out the faster, more improvisatory notes with great vigour
(such as the Prelude of Suite no 5), but more often than
not the effect is stiff and steely Indeed, the sense of energy
in the Courante of Suite no 1 or the Gavotte of Suite no 5 is
actually lessened by this approach More successful are
 Vienna Urtext Edition
New Titles
J S BACH
Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue (BWV 903/903a) £7.15
lidited from the sources with notes by Ulrich I-eisinger
Fingering and notes on interpretation by Michael Bchringer J. S. Bach
Chromatische Fantasia und Fugs
L VAN BEETHOVEN
Piano Sonatas Vol. 2 £16.15

Downloaded from http://em.oxfordjournals.org/ at Florida Atlantic University on May 24, 2015

(Opp. 26, 27/1&2, 28, 31/1, 2&3, 49/1&2, 53, 54, 57)
Kditcd from the sources by Peter llauschild

F SCHUBERT
The Complete Piano Sonatas Vol. 3 £18.75
(D. 850, 894, 958, 959, 960) Wiener Urtext Edition
Kdited from the sources with notes and fingering by Martmo Tirimo

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EARLY MUSIC MAY 1999 341
those movements with a bow-change every beat such as
the Gigue of Suite no.4 and the second Gavotte ot Suite
110.5: here there does seem to be something ot a swing
which is generally absent in movements that demand a
greater variety of strokes. The impetuosity and apparent
tension in this performance can leave us disorientated
whenever there is a lack ot inflection or a slight deviation
from the metre, as if to prove the maxim that rigid things
fracture more easily than flexible ones. This is evident in
the very first few seconds of the opening suite, where—
when the pertormer presumably intends us to be swept ott
our feet—I took a little while to gain my bearings.
Neither of these performances fully captures the tanta-
lizing ambiguity of Bach's lines, the constant allusions to
dance, polyphony and conversation that make these pieces
so fascinating. But both are worth hearing for different
reasons. Linden's, in particular, reflects considerable expe-
rience and thought. Both are also interesting recordings of
historic instruments: Beschi's 1754 Testore produces a
bright sound, balanced throughout the range (although it
would surely have responded better to a more sensitive
microphone placement) and Linden's luscious Bergonzi
(1:. 1725-30) is wonderfully complemented by the five-
string Amati U.1600) tor the sixth suite.
I technique and great skill as a performer were legendary.
Early Musical instrument specialists to the world
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1-ARI.V Ml'MI. MAY 1999
Beschi's recording marks the debut of a new label, Win-
ter & Winter, and is luxuriously produced as two separate
CDs with a liner that is considerably more arty than
enlightening or informative (including, with the disc for
suites 4-6, a photograph of the performer in what looks
suspiciously like blackface). It is thus with little personal
bias that I can note that my own essay for Linden's record-
ing (which I recognized only halfway through reading I is
probably more useful.
Tim Crawford
Downloaded from http://em.oxfordjournals.org/ at Florida Atlantic University on May 24, 2015
Lute music by Silvius Leopold
Weiss
These three CDs could be seen as a way into one of the
better-kept secrets of music history: a truly important
composer contemporary with J. S. Bach whose music is
still almost unknown. The reasons for his neglect are not
hard to find. Lute music, especially that for the lHth-cen-
tury instrument, requires absolute mastery of playing
technique and the musical conventions ot the period, as
well as a fine instrument. Silvius Leopold Weiss himself
attested to the importance of a good lute, and his superb
Only a generation ago, even those barely adequate instru-
ments that were being produced were almost unobtain-
able, and details of technique and performing practice had
hardly been worked out. A small sampling ot Weiss's
,.fr music was available, but it was usually performed on the
i •'I'^X.^' SJL-,
"Vr*1^ y
classical guitar, a woefully inadequate substitute tor the
;
'
U' '
|
f^\
Baroque lute.
Over the past ^o years or so, the lute has become, it not
^ "'
a part of the musical mainstream, at least an instrument
that is becoming relatively familiar. Excellent, even superb,
lutes are now available at a price, yet the Baroque instru-
ment is played far less than the earlier form. There is also
now something near to a critical mass of skilled players
who can do more than justice to its extensive and varied
repertory. The finest of all Baroque lute music—leaving
M-> j \ , aside that by I. S. Bach—is without doubt that ot Weiss,
and his discography is at last becoming substantial, even
though most of his work remains unpublished. One of the
pioneers of the Baroque-lute revival in 1970s Basel was
Hopkinson Smith, who has recorded a number ot Weiss
recitals on both LP and CD. His command of the instru-
ment iv hevond question, and hi* understanding of and