Bach,J.S. / Luolajan-Mikkola Sonatas & Partitas Bwv 1001-1006 CD

With two Gramophone Awards to his name and a reputation synonymous with excellence, Markku Luolajan-Mikkola is a musician who is at the top of his profession. With an established fan base built over his two decades with viol consort Phantasm, Luolajan-Mikkola makes his solo Linn debut in style, tackling what is considered the pinnacle of Bach's output for violinists: the Sonatas and Partitas. Transcribing these hugely popular works for cello, especially one in Baroque set-up, was not without it's risks, although performing on Baroque cello also offers compelling advantages. Luolajan-Mikkola takes his interpretative cue from the set-up of the Baroque instrument, which informs such issues as tuning, vibrato, fingering and articulation. Performing the Sonatas and Partitas on the cello is so challenging that it is almost impossible to imagine a cellist of Bach's day playing them, but Luolajan-Mikkola rises to the challenge with aplomb. Luolajan-Mikkola's main aim in this recording has been to capture emotion and convey expression according to the respective key and character of each movement, which he achieves in spades. Markku Luolajan-Mikkola is a historically informed musician who has given more than a thousand concerts in thirty countries.

1. I. Allemanda 2. II. Corrente 3. III. Sarabanda 4. IV. Giga 5. V. Ciaccona 6. I. Grave 7. II. Fuga 8. III. Andante 9. IV. Allegro 10. I. Preludio 11. II. Loure 12. III. Gavotte en Rondeau 13. IV. Menuet I ; II 14. V. Bourr?e 15. VI. Gigue 16. I. Allemanda 17. II. Double 18. III. Corrente 19. IV. Double. Presto 20. V. Sarabande 21. VI. Double 22. VII. Tempo Di Borea 23. VIII. Double 24. I. Adagio 25. II. Fuga: Allegro 26. III. Siciliana 27. IV. Presto 28. I. Adagio 29. II. Fuga 30. III. Largo 31. IV. Allegro Assai