Francesco Cera - Johann Sebastian Bach: French Suites, Italian Concerto, Fantasia and Fugue (2008)

There are "audiophile recordings" and there are recordings with audiophile sound that capture the listener's attention primarily with other characteristics. This German release is an example of the former. Harpsichordist Francesco Cera uses a modern copy of a very hard-edged double-manual French instrument from 1691, not expected for Bach, but not beyond the pale, either. It's a resonant beast whose dynamics are captured in full by the engineering team of the Arts label, at an unspecified venue in the Italian town of Fiano Romano. Cera powers his way through the French Suites, hanging on the dotted rhythms in the slower movements and delivering crystal-clear articulation in the fast-movement passagework. He does not emphasize the dance rhythms in the suites. Instead, he outlines in the booklet (which is certainly not designed for readability) a theory that the six suites are linked by an emotional progression based on their keys, which is dubious in that they probably wouldn't have been programmed as a set in Bach's time, and probably not audible to the listener not familiarized with Cera's ideas ahead of time. The entire double-disc set, given the sheer intensity of Cera's interpretations, is a lot for one sitting in any event. The conclusion of the program with Italian-style (the Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971) and German-style (the Fantasia and fugue in A minor, BWV 904) is, however, an idea that ought to be adopted more often. Recommended especially for listeners with the equipment necessary to get the most out of this release.

Review by James Manheim