Asier Polo - J.S. Bach: Cello Suites (2021) [Hi-Res]

J. S. Bach’s Cello Suites are somehow hypnotic. An austere work, an instrument, a performer, a single voice and yet we begin to listen to them and are introduced into a path which inevitably leads us inwards, and makes us aware of our absolute solitude facing the universe and the unknown. When we approach a work of such dimensions, turn out to be hopelessly small, aware of the responsibility implied by being alone before a musical monument of almost unrivalled characteristics. The work places you in front of the mirror, with no frills to hide your true vulnerability as an artist. I had to be honest and consistent with my journey. I knew I could not offer something definitive, but I had to capture the photograph of a moment, an instant of my journey as a musician in the continuous search for something that, due to its greatness, is infinite. The greatness of this music is manifested through a message of profound humanism, which opens our minds to the beautiful, the intangible, and the elevated. Bach’s suites are introspective, true, but when they end, one is certain of having heard a personal and intimate message, full of emotion, intelligence, harmony and respect for Life. The Cistercian Collegiate Church of Zenarruza (14th century) is an enclave where the Jacobean route along the coast of the The Way of Saint James passes through. The constant influx of pilgrims made it almost compulsory, for the scheduled times of these recording sessions, to move to the quiet of the night, when everyone was resting. Surely, that condition has left its mark on this version. The silence, the acoustics of the church, the twilight lighting, the mysterious hours of the morning…, without doubt it was a magical experience. (Asier Polo Reflexion).