Wednesday, May 25, 2011

The Cello Suites : J.S. Bach, Pablo Casals, And The Search For A Baroque Masterpiece
by Eric Siblin

I really must stop reading books where Simon Winchester raves about them. The best book that he ever wrote was The Professor And The Madman. He should just stick to writing and not reviewing because I haven't agreed with any of them.
The Cello Suites is about Bach, Pablo Casals and the author's sleuthwork. You get a short biography of Bach and Casals, how Bach came to write the music, what happened to the original manuscript; Casals' discovery of the music when he was just thirteen years old; descriptions by the author of the different movements and his interviews with cellists.
The book sounded like a good idea but it jumps around too much and is kind of pedantic. Just when you get your head around Bach's life and career, the book changes course with Casals and what he did. These two narratives are actually interesting but then there's a third one with the author and it all becomes muddled.
I like reading quirky books but this one doesn't work.
Not recommended.

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