Product Review

Anner Bylsma, who plays a Baroque cello in original condition, has written a whole book about the variety of bow strokes needed for this music. Fancying the use of the bow as an analogue to the use of a foil in a duel, he calls Bach a "fencing master," a term that implies intense training, physical coordination used with spontaneity, and a readiness to change the approach instantly as each successive, fast-moving challenge demands. His playing makes the music fresh and new with a flexibility and vitality that illustrates the thesis of his book. --Joe McLellan