Bach Cello Suites - Henri Demarquette

• Performer: Henri Marquette, cello
• Recording: Oct-Dec 2022; Méjan Chapel, Arles, France
• Producer, Sound Manager: Jean-Marc Laisné
• Mastering: Isabelle Davy

This recording is of interest for several reasons; Henri Demarquette is an artist I’m unfamiliar with, and well, the notes describe the special way they recorded these suites. And the music? We know the music is good…

The liner notes ask us to think of Bach’s cello suites as a secret rendezvous for the player; as much as Mount Ventoux (in Provence) might be the rendezvous stand-in for a cyclist. It’s a creative way of saying these pieces are special to Mr. Demarquette. He and so many other cellists.

Sound Quality

The liner notes mention the use of 3D capturing technology (Atmos) and how they mixed down the input from multiple microphones to stereo. I auditioned this album on my bookshelf setup in the confines of my home office. The effect was as if Demarquette was in the room, the sound of his instrument immediately in front of me. I am not sure I heard “reflections off my back wall,” as the notes suggest I might, but the engineering speaks well to making me feel the musician is in the room with me, which I liked very much. The reverb suggests a large room but nothing like a concert hall or church. In terms of audio engineering, the result for me was extremely engaging.

Playing

Demarquette is playing a non-baroque setup but he does dispense with using continuous vibrato. He’s one of those musicians who is applying a historical framework to his sound. His articulation style includes a lot of legato, which isn’t necessarily the solution adopted by historical specialists. At big breaks in phrases he does articulate very cleanly which is good for a piece like the second suite’s gigue. I tend to think, phrase-wise, of this particular dance in smaller chunks, but thinking larger phrase-lengths I think is a more traditional approach. I think the music works either way.

Demarquette takes the opening prelude from BWV 1007 very quick. It’s a bold move, I think, working more like a toccata than a prelude, but he makes it work musically. For the opening of the album, I thought it was a bold declaration that he had something to say and was going to do it differently than, say, those that have come before?

I didn’t care as much for his sarabande from BWV 1008. For me, I feel there’s far more emotional depth to excavate from that slow, in-3 dance. There’s a moment at the end of one of the phrases that sounded odd to me, as if Demarquette was unsure of how to tie up the phrase?

The courante from BWV 1009 was fun; his tempo is steady throughout and he’s consistent in his phrasing and how he articulates the phrases. The little ornament at the end put a smile on my face.

When I auditioned the bourrées from BWV 1010 it was clear that we were in a different recording session; the sound changed; it lost some of its roundness and bass, but I also think his instrument’s upper range is highlighted more clearly. I got the image of a dancer listening to this one; I could see a woman clearly twirling and moving her feet in strict adherence to the cellist’s internal pulse, even when he slows near the end of a phrase before starting the second companion dance. I end the track thinking I preferred the sound of the earlier suites.

Bach’s C-minor suite, BWV 1011, starts in a very dark and deep space and Demarquette takes us there. His tempo and rhetorical treatment I think is well done. While some players may linger a bit longer on some of those delicious chords, I can also respect Demarquette’s vision to keep the piece moving. It’s refreshing as the prelude in the first suite.

The same suite’s Gigue is a jumpy affair, one can almost picture a leprechaun dancing about his pot of gold beneath a rainbow. It’s Demarquette’s use of vibrato at the end of phrases here that maybe is not my favorite; it’s nothing offensive. But while his use of the technique is moderately present throughout, it plays a role in the way he lands on the longer notes in this dance. The application is nearly consistent, at least, and the way he treats those long notes makes me really feel he’s pulling at this one, like as if it is made from taffy, and the rubato I think works in this dance well.

Among my favorite dances is the pair of Gavottes from the sixth suite, BWV 1012. In the best rendition for me, this is a profoundly sad pair of dances; the higher gamut of a four-string cello I think helps inspire this interpretation. Perhaps for me Demarquette’s briskness with this dance robs me of that sweet/sad pleasure I like from these dances. I appreciate a different interpretation, but ultimately I was left thinking that this suite on a four-string instrument is perhaps not best.

Conclusions

There’s a raspy aspect to the cello used on this album that doesn’t escape the high-tech recording procedures used. It shows up most unpleasantly in the sixth sonata. Part of my reaction to the sound and how Demarquette plays is brought about I think in the truly revealing way his instrument is presented to us, up close. It reminds me to a degree of the Gunar Letzbor recording of Bach’s violin sonatas and partitas, where he adopted the soundworld of the practice room, with a very up-close sound to those albums.

This isn’t quite as severe, but it does bring us very close to this musician. I detect from him a very strong voice toward his interpretation; I wouldn’t be surprised if he played these without a score, there is deep evidence from me of a very personal interpretation that is always enhanced when we can play what we feel in our fingers and arm. The tight control on vibrato made this endeavor more enjoyable, despite many choices I felt were more personal that historically-leaning.

This album is different enough for me, and with energy and spunk, in a few places, to make it interesting. This doesn’t replace my favorite interpretation, but it does bring something fresh to the table. While I didn’t like every musical solution, I admire his approach and his voice which comes through in every track.

The sound engineering used here should be explored by other artists. While maybe not perfect, it does bring you closer to the musician and to the music.