Bach: Cello Suites
Mstislav Rostropovich is one of the few musicians who can create a  larger-than-life experience through the combined forces of exceptional music, a  beautiful instrument, and uncommonly facile communicative skills. In his  performances of Bach's transcendent masterpieces for solo cello, Rostropovich  finds a perfect balance between a romantic, rhapsodic interpretation and one  that emphasizes the purely formal "aridity" of Bach's structures.  Although it's nearly impossible to isolate one or two highlights, the Sarabande  and Prelude from Suite No. 5 are among the most profoundly moving cello  performances you will ever hear--the closest we probably will ever come to  experiencing through music the soul of both Rostropovich and Bach. Not  everyone will immediately appreciate the very resonant sound that emphasizes  the cello's lower register. But after a few minutes your ears adjust, the music  takes over, and nothing else seems important.--David Vernier