DSD Recordings of Bach's Cello Suites?

[GoldenBoy]

Ever since I bought my first recording of these masterful suites, I've been on a seemingly neverending quest to find the best recording of them, both performance wise and soundwise, and I own many recordings of them, MANY. ;) So now that I have entered the SACD revolution I was wondering if anyone knows of any DSD recordings of the suites, not remastered in DSD to SACD, but full DSD recordings on SACD? Thanks for any help here.

[Steve Hoffman]

I don't know of any, but of course, I'm not the expert.

The cello is such a tough instrument to record correctly. Too much bow, or too much "box" or too much ambience can really ruin it for me.

I'll never forget, I was walking around the Stereophile show once, and after hearing about 20 stereo setups in 20 rooms, I was a bit burned out. I walked around the corner in the hotel and heard GREAT string tone coming from an exhibitor room. A string quartet record was playing, and I remember saying to Karla (we weren't even dating yet) that "WOW, NOW THAT'S THE SOUND I LIKE". Of course, we walked in the room, and there was a real live string quartet playing! Best sound at the show! :D

[Richard Feirstein]

No joke. This is why AR's early demonstrations that switched between its speakers and a live performer were so interesting. :p

[GoldenBoy]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman

The cello is such a tough instrument to record correctly. Too much bow, or too much "box" or too much ambience can really ruin it for me.


Steve,

I know exactly what you mean, that's part of the reason why I have so many recordings of these suites. Besides the performances varying WILDLY in some instances, there's the problem with recording the cello correctly. It's seems like it's always too thin, too grating, too boomy, too dry, too wet, etc. etc.

One of my favourite recordings soundwise and in way of performance is a 1992 recording on Sony's Vivarte label by Anner Bylsma. He plays a period Stradivarius from the Smithsonian that is actually slightly larger than the modern cello. Also, to increase the dynamics, he played it with a mixture of gutted strings and steel strings. It's very intersting, not pefect, but interesting. :)