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Music Review: Late Night at the Cathedral – Bach Cello Suites

By Gordon Forester

Posted on April 5, 2014

Late Night at the Cathedral – Bach Cello Suites brought us the very best of things that go Bach in the night. St Peter’s Cathedral was the stunning candlelit setting for the wonderful performance of all six suites for solo cello by J. S. Bach, BWV 1007-1012.

Presented by Adelaide International Cello Festival, Late Night at the Cathedral – Bach Cello Suites brought us the very best of things that go Bach in the night. St Peter’s Cathedral was the stunning candlelit setting for the wonderful performance of all six suites for solo cello by J. S. Bach, BWV 1007-1012.

Pablo Casals is widely credited for making the Suites famous, and the notoriety of the 1^st Suite in G Major aided in no small way by Yo-Yo Ma. Former cellist for the Australian String Quartet, New Zealander Rachel Johnston, opened the concert with a moving performance of the first, drawing us in to an intimate scene despite the Cathedral’s size.

Finland’s Marko Ylönen’s ethereal rendition of 2^nd suite in D Minor might have made even the most hardened atheists start to wonder, as his sweet tone drifted up and almost certainly out through the Welsh slate roof.

After some confusion about whether there was an interval or not, West Australian Symphony Orchestra cellist Louise McKay, undeterred, performed the stirring 3^rd Suite in C Major, followed by current Australian String Quartet cellist, Sharon Draper, for the superb 4^th Suite in E♭ Major.

The 5^th Suite in C Minor was captivating by Latvian Margarita Balanas, her beautiful unearthly tones reverberating off the Cathedral’s English Oak and Tea Tree Gully sandstone. Her performance appeared to take her to another place, and thankfully she took us along too.

Finally, Australian Jack Bailey gave Lynn Harrell a run for his money at the stellar second performance this festival of 6^th Suite in D Major. St Peter’s Cathedral and a concert of this calibre were made for each other and the sextet receiving a well-deserved rousing standing ovation; the concert concluding close to 1.30am.

Unfortunately for my 10-year-old violinist nephew companion, he lost a bet about being able to stay awake for the whole show. The stakes? My recounting of this joke (directed at my nephew, not violinists everywhere). Why is a cello larger than a violin? It’s not – the violinist’s head is bigger.

Reviewed by Gordon Forester 03 April 2014

Venue: St Peter’s Cathedral, King William Street, Adelaide

Season: The Adelaide International Cello Festival runs 25 March to 6 April
Duration: 2½ hours
Tickets: $50
Bookings: Adelaide International Cello Festival bookings