The immediate drawing power of this recording of the Six Suites for Cello Solo by Johann Sebastian Bach is the sound quality of the instrument, a 1702 Carlo Giuseppe Testore cello, on loan to Dariusz Skoraczewski from conductor Marin Alsop in memory of her mother, Ruth Alsop who played cello in the New York City Ballet Orchestra for more than 50 years. Dariusz Skoraczewski is presently the Principal Cellist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Carlo Giuseppe Testore cellos are very highly prized, with some auction estimates fetching in the neighbourhood of $300,000.00 and more. There's a velvety characteristic to its string tone, with a lyrical, songlike attribute in the higher register, and a warm, deep and mellow sound in the bass notes.

But great sound doesn't account for much if the music itself is not well played. Dariusz Skoraczewski's punctilious use of rubato and expressive phrasing well project the music's fundamental essence. There's a pleasant bounce to his staccato notes, and his portamento is always clean and articulate. He avoids the customary trap of fixating on Baroque authenticity and considers Bach's masterwork more as a musical essay that transcends time and place.

The self-engineered sound recording is close and detailed, with the proper level of ambient resonance to position the listener a few feet in front of the instrument, and never induces ear fatigue. Very well done for a private endeavour, and highly recommended for both cello and Bach enthusiasts.