William Skeen is the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra’s principal cellist, and a longtime practitioner of historically informed performance practice. His recording of the six Bach Cello Suites utilizes period instruments: a Giovanni Gracino model circa 1725 for the first five works, an Italian violoncello piccolo dating from around 1680 of anonymous lineage for the Sixth Suite, plus a modern replica of a 1720s bow. Like many other HIP performers of these works, Sheen tunes a semi-tone below standard pitch, and employs vibrato discreetly. At the same time, a modern sensibility informs his interpretations.
Tempos are on the broad side, dynamics are understated, while the phrasing conveys a vocally oriented and low-keyed conversational demeanor. What is more, he never makes an ugly or unmusical sound. Don’t expect the gruff intensity of Casals or Heinrich Schiff’s drive and drama, let alone the sheer virtuoso aplomb of Yo-Yo Ma’s first recorded version or Mstislav Rostropovich’s EMI recording. Instead, relish Skeen’s subtle agogic stresses and cross-rhythmic phrasing in the Suite No. 5’s Prelude, the E-flat Allemande’s wispy delicacy, or the G Major Gigue’s varied accents. Bar lines virtually disappear in Skeen’s lyrical and laid-back treatment of the C Major Prelude, while his light touch and supple bow arm imparts a lovely inner “swing” to the D Minor Courante.
Although Skeen’s baroque cello sounds huge next to the violoncello piccolo’s more constricted and nasal timbre, his command of the smaller instrument allows him to scale the Sixth Suite’s movements down to intimate miniature size while retaining the detailed refinement distinguishing his readings of the other suites. To be sure, I miss the strong dance roots of Anner Bylsma’s influential 1979 period instrument traversal, while wishing for a little more audacity vis-à-vis ornamentation. Still, one cannot deny the quiet authority and intrinsic beauty of these gorgeously engineered performances.
