Catalogue

Summary:

Brazilian cellist Antonio Meneses, a member of the Beaux Arts Trio and a frequent collaborator of the world’s greatest conductors and orchestras, takes a solo turn with the most noble of works for his instrument, J S Bach’s Six Cello Suites.

A consummate master of his instrument, Antonio started playing the cello when he was 10 years old. At the age of 16 his musical studies took him to Europe, and in 1982 he won the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and New York Philharmonic, among others, with such conductors as Karajan, Abbado, Rostropovich, Muti and Chailly. In the recording studio he famously collaborated with Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic in Brahms’ Double Concerto for Violin and Cello (with Anne-Sophie Mutter), and Strauss’ Don Quixote.

Playing a Jean-Baptiste Vuillaumme cello from Paris c.1840, Antonio’s renditions of Bach’s seminal works are marked by purity and grace, introspection and sophistication.

Tracklist:

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750)

Six Suites for Solo Cello

Disc 1

Suite No. 1, BWV 1007 in G major (16:27)
1. Prélude (2:18)
2. Allemande (3:39)
3. Courante (2:36)
4. Sarabande (2:53)
5. Menuet I & II (3:18)
6. Gigue (1:46)

Suite No. 2, BWV 1008 in D minor (18:29)
7. Prélude (3:33)
8. Allemande (2:55)
9. Courante (2:02)
10. Sarabande (4:22)
11. Menuet I & II (3:05)
12. Gigue (2:36)

Suite No. 3, BWV 1009 in C major (20:22)
13. Prélude (3:10)
14. Allemande (3:33)
15. Courante (3:00)
16. Sarabande (4:15)
17. Bourrée I & II (3:06)
18. Gigue (3:30)
Total time CD 1: 55:37

Disc 2

Suite No. 4, BWV 1010 in E flat major (22:38)
1. Prélude (3:54)
2. Allemande (3:44)
3. Courante (3:18)
4. Sarabande (4:14)
5. Bourée I & II (4:50)
6. Gigue (2:41)

Suite No. 5, BWV 1011 in C minor (23:08)
7. Prélude (6:01)
8. Allemande (5:00)
9. Courante (2:07)
10. Sarabande (3:26)
11. Gavotte I & II (4:22)
12. Gigue (2:15)

Suite No. 6, BWV 1012 in D major (26:46)
13. Prélude (4:24)
14. Allemande (7:04)
15. Courante (3:37)
16. Sarabande (4:05)
17. Gavotte I & II (3:46)
18. Gigue (4:01)
Total time CD 2: 72:49

Recorded 2 – 5 June 2004, at St. Martin’s Church, East Woodhay, Berkshire, England
Produced, Engineered and Edited by Simon Fox-Gal