J.S. Bach: Cello Suites, arranged for viola

A summary of the review of Bach · Six Suites (Prospero) on biberfan.org, the review site for Baroque string music. Read the full review on biberfan.org

The reviewer awards the album 4.5 out of 5 stars and calls the performances intelligent, thoughtful and deeply musical.

• Marc Sabbah treats the viola on its own terms rather than imitating a cello, with a historically informed approach that largely avoids vibrato and returns to Anna Magdalena Bach's manuscript copy.
• Tempi are mostly ideal and the ornamentation tasteful; the Gigue of the C minor Suite is praised for its buoyancy, and the E-flat major Suite is singled out as especially well suited to the instrument.
• The recording quality is excellent, and Sabbah's tone "borders on gorgeous".
• The reviewer sees the album as a potential standard reference for violists – and rewarding for cello lovers too.