I want to buy a complete recording of the Bach solo cello suites but don't know which to choose.

There are quite a few!... Yo Yo Ma, Pablo Casals, Rostropovich and then there's the new recording by Steven Isserlis.

Anybody got any favourites or recommendations?

I still rate Rostropovich (which is the recording I have), though Yo Yo comes close.

Tortelier. Definately! I may be biased though - I use his music edition for the suites. His fingering and bowing are brilliant. On the rare occasion that I don't like the way Tortelier does something, a very useful and enjoyable comparison in my opinion is Rostropovich.

Everything below should be read with the usual "IMHOs", of course.


Boring.


Possibly OK, if you can live with the awful sound (it was recorded in the 1930s).


Boring, and slooooow.


I haven't heard this one.

My current favorites, in no particular order, are János Starker, Anner Bylsma, Patricia McCarty and Truls Mørk.

I disagree that the tempi by 'Slava' and Yo Yo are slow and boring.
These pieces , and indeed the violin sonatas/partitas are played much too fast by many protagonists, I cannot believe Bach meant them to be like that. Something seems to be lost at those tempi.

I have an old record of the Janos Starker ones and they are definitely a favourite but I like the Diuglas Cummings recording too.

Nobuko Imai.

Everything sounds better on a viola.

I really can't get on with the Yo Yo Ma, quite like Rostroprovich, and totally adore Jacqueline du Pre recording from many years ago.