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THE BACH CELLO SUITES PLAYING CELLO. IN SPITE
HAVE BEEN A PART OF MY LIFE AS LONG AS
I’VE
BEEN
OF MY STYLISTIC RESTLESSNESS AND YEARS OF ARTISTIC
EXPLORATION OUTSIDE OF THE
WESTERN CLASSICAL
I’VE PLAYED AND THOUGHT ABOUT DAYS, I DID THE OBLIGATORY STUDY
TRADITION, THIS IS THE
REPERTOIRE
THE MOST DURING MY LIFE.
IN
YOUNGER
OF ALL THE DIFFERENT RECORDINGS
MY
AND EDITIONS WITH THE GOAL OF CREATING MY OWN CODIFIED INTERPRETATION, COMPLETE WITH A CONSISTENT APPROACH TO SLURRING, AND A HEALTHY INSPIRATION FROM HISTORICALLY-INFORMED PERFORMANCE PRACTICE.
NOWADAYS,
CONSCIOUSLY AVOID MAKING TOO MANY DECISIONS AHEAD OF TIME.
I
I
ENJOY FINDING DIFFERENT WAYS TO PLAY THEM EVERY TIME, AND ACTUALLY
PREFER TO
LET MY INTERPRETATION BE FED BY THE FEEL OF THE AUDIENCE, AND THE ACOUSTICS OF THE PERFORMANCE SPACE.
IN FACT, TO ENSURE THAT I PERFORM THE SUITES WITH A SPONTANEOUS FEELING, I OFTEN TAKE AUDIENCE REQUESTS IN MY SOLO SHOWS SO THAT I CAN’T PRACTICE THEM OBSESSIVELY BEFORE HAND. THIS IS ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN I COMMIT TO PLAYING THEM FREQUENTLY AT HOME FOR MY OWN ENJOYMENT, SO THAT THEY MAINTAIN A HOLD ON ME, AND AT ANY MOMENT I COULD PULL THIS MOVEMENT OR THAT MOVEMENT OUT TO SHARE WITH AN AUDIENCE.
WHAT I
ENJOY MOST ARE THE MOMENTS WHEN
EVEN MYSELF WITH HOW THE MUSIC COMES OUT.
FOR
I
AM ABLE TO SURPRISE
THIS PROJECT,
I
WANTED
TO MAINTAIN THAT COMMITMENT TO PLAYING FROM MY GUT, AND PHRASING ON INSTINCT.
TO STAY "IN THE MOMENT", I LIMITED MYSELF TO TWO TAKES FOR MOVEMENT, WITH A FEW EXTRA SPOTS FOR COVERAGE DURING EDITING. RECORDING ALL 36 MOVEMENTS IN JUST TWO DAYS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE WONDERFUL NOTE-TAKING AND MUSICAL PERSPECTIVE PROVIDED BY MY CO-PRODUCER, CELLIST MICHAEL UNTERMAN.
EACH
Whether you are a performer or a listener, attempting to comprehend all six of Bach's Cello Suites as a single entity is truly like stepping into the void. If you choose to enter, you’ll likely not be the same person when you come out the other side.
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Cello Suite 1 in G major, BWV 1007 - J.S. Bach 01 02 03 04 05 06
PRELUDE ALLEMANDE COURANTE SARABANDE MENUETS I & II GIGUE
Cello Suite 2 in D minor, BWV 1008 - J.S. Bach 07 08 09 10 11 12
PRELUDE ALLEMANDE COURANTE SARABANDE MENUETS I & II GIGUE
DISC 1
Cello Suite 3 in C MAJOR, BWV 1009 - J.S. Bach 13 14 15 16 17 18
PRELUDE ALLEMANDE COURANTE SARABANDE BOUREES I & II GIGUE
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Cello Suite 4 in Eb major, BWV 1010 - J.S. Bach
01 02 03 04 05 06
PRELUDE ALLEMANDE COURANTE SARABANDE BOUREES I & II GIGUE
Cello Suite 5 in C minor, BWV 1011 - J.S. Bach 07 08 09 10 11 12
PRELUDE ALLEMANDE COURANTE SARABANDE GAVOTTES I & II GIGUE
DISC 2
Cello Suite 6 in D major, BWV 1012 - J.S. Bach 13 14 15 16 17 18
PRELUDE ALLEMANDE COURANTE SARABANDE GAVOTTES I & II GIGUE
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DISC 3
STEP INTO THE VOID 01 02 03 04 05 06 07
PART I: UTTER VOID PART II: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS PART 3: THE DIPLOMAT PART 4: WHAT DID YOU SAY YOUR NAME IS? PART 5: RECAPITULATION PART 6: WHEN I LEFT HOME BONUS TRACK: PRELUDE TO A DREAM, COMPOSED BY MIKE BLOCK
ALBUM PERFORMERS: MIKE BLOCK (CELLO), BARRY ROTHMAN (PHONOGRAPH) BACK
COVER ART BY
KEVORK MOURAD | ALBUM
PACKAGE DESIGN BY
MARIAN C. HOLMES | PHOTOGRAPHER: TODD ROSENBERG
DISCS 1 & 2: PRODUCED BY MIKE BLOCK AND MICHAEL UNTERMAN MASTERED BY MIKE MERMAGEN | ENGINEERED/MIXED BY MIKE MERMAGEN AND JOHN WESTON AT FUTURA PRODUCTIONS, ROSLINDALE, MA DISCS 1 & 2 TRACKS RECORDED AT FUTURA PRODUCTIONS, ROSLINDALE, MA
TRACK
DISC 3: PRODUCED BY MIKE BLOCK | MASTERED BY DAN CARDINAL | TRACKS 1-6 ENGINEERED BY ARIEL BERNSTEIN 7 ENGINEERED BY JOHN WESTON | MIXED BY DAN CARDINAL AT DIMENSION SOUND STUDIOS, JAMAICA PLAIN, MA DISC 3 RECORDED LIVE AT STUBBLEBINE LUTHERIE, SOMERVILLE, MA WWW.MIKEBLOCKMUSIC.COM
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Š 2020 Mike Block | All rights reserved Unauthorized replication & distribution prohibited BSTC-0132 | brightshiny.ninja | mikeblockmusic.com
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