Mercury Records Collection: SR3-9016: J.S. BACH: Suites For Unaccompanied Cello (complete)

SR3-9016: J.S. BACH: Suites For Unaccompanied Cello (complete)
Janos Starker

Label Type :	maroon Mercury Stereo Living Presence High Fidelity
Matrix Number :	SR-90445 SIDE-A	SR-90445A-RFR-3 MR I
	SR-90445 SIDE-B	SR-90445B-RFR-1 RR I
	SR-90446 SIDE-A	SR-90446A-RFR-2 MR I
	SR-90446 SIDE-B	SR-90446B-RFR-2 RR I
	SR-90447 SIDE-A	SR-90447A-RFR-2 1 RR II
	SR-90447 SIDE-B	SR-90447B-RFR-1 MR I

Comments

Equivalent release: Mercury OL3-116 (mono).

3LP box set with gatefold 4-page booklet.

RFR pressing: except a few background noise, these set sounds very nice with great stereophonic presence.

Suites No.2 and No.5 were previously available as Mercury MG-50370 (mono) and SR-90370 (stereo).

Personal Impression (and brief notes)

Needless to say this is one of the most famous Living Presence LPs. Although this album consists of Mercury's late sessions (after the golden team such as C.R. Fine, Wilma Cozart et al left Mercury), the producer Harold Lawrence and the engineer Robert Eberenz had made yet another great recording like this. The stereophonic presence of Mr. Starker's violoncello is a bit larger than it naturally should be, but the sonics are terrific with the depth and detail. Definitely one of the best recordings by Janos Starker.

Strictly Personal Rating (to what extent I could enjoy this album)

10 out of 10

Track Listing

SIDE-1 (SR-90445 SIDE-A)
J.S. BACH: Suite No.1 in G		(17:12 in total)
A-1	Praeludium	2:23
A-2	Allemmande	4:27
A-3	Courante	2:22
A-4	Sarabande	3:22
A-5	Menuetto	2:53
A-6	Gigue	1:31
SIDE-2 (SR-90445 SIDE-B)
J.S. BACH: Suite No.2 in D minor		(15:25 in total)
B-1	Praeludium	3:14
B-2	Allemande	2:44
B-3	Courante	1:21
B-4	Sarabande	3:38
B-5	Menuetto	2:32
B-6	Gigue	1:33
SIDE-3 (SR-90446 SIDE-A)
J.S. BACH: Suite No.3 in C		(17:55 in total)
A-1	Praeludium	4:11
A-2	Allemande	2:53
A-3	Courante	2:09
A-4	Sarabande	3:20
A-5	Bourree	3:09
A-6	Gigue	1:59
SIDE-4 (SR-90446 SIDE-B)
J.S. BACH: Suite No.4 in E flat		(18:16 in total)
B-1	Praeludium	4:02
B-2	Allemande	2:45
B-3	Courante	2:30
B-4	Sarabande	3:23
B-5	Baurree	3:52
B-6	Gigue	1:31
SIDE-5 (SR-90447 SIDE-A)
J.S. BACH: Suite No.5 in C minor		(22:30 in total)
A-1	Praeludium	6:46
A-2	Allemande	4:10
A-3	Courante	2:04
A-4	Sarabande	2:42
A-5	Gavotte	4:02
A-6	Gigue	2:26
SIDE-6 (SR-90447 SIDE-B)
J.S. BACH: Suite No.6 in D		(21:28 in total)
B-1	Praeludium	4:39
B-2	Allemande	4:32
B-3	Courante	2:32
B-4	Sarabande	3:21
B-5	Gavotte	3:35
B-6	Gigue	2:34

Personnel

Personnel/recorded date/master numbers confirmed with the Ruppli's discography.
(“The Mercury Labels - A Discography” by Ruppli and Novitsky, Greenwood Press, 1993)

Janos Starker (cello).

Suite No.2 (SR-90445 Side-B):
Recorded at Fine Recording Studio A, New York City on April 15, 1963 (afternoon).

Suite No.5 (SR-90447 Side-A):
Recorded at Fine Recording Studio A, New York City on April 15, 1963 (evening).

Suite No.1 (SR-90445 Side-A):
Recorded at Fine Recording Studio A, New York City on September 7, 1965 (15:00-18:00)

Suite No.6 (SR-90447 Side-B):
Recorded at Fine Recording Studio A, New York City
on September 7, 1965 (19:00-22:00) & September 8, 1965 (19:00-22:00).

Suites No.3 and No.4 (SR-90446):
Recorded at Fine Recording Studio A, New York City
on December 21, 1965 (17:00-20:00 & 21:00-midnight) & December 22, 1965 (18:00-21:00).

Harold Lawrence, producer.
Robert Eberenz, recording engineer.