JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH

"…Kenedy’s inspiration is less specific - the Suites as celebration of Creation and of life as expressed through the dance, with that Second Prelude now climaxing with a "celestial choir" - but the result is no less heartfelt. His performances are bold and clean-lined, if less caressingly resonant than Isserlis’s and with less of his virtuoso agility and rhythmic flexibility. Kenedy makes less distinction between different suites and prefers strongly projected lines shaped by big crescendi and diminuendi, though at a cost in light and shade. And despite his stated interest in the dance element, he lacks Isserlis’s airborne magic. But these are performances of honest affection, and ones to be well pleased with."

Lindsay Kemp

"Ordinarily this modern cello recording would not feature in these pages, but there is no denying David Kenedy’s intimate understanding of these fantastic pieces and his ability to convey his interpretation of their inner meaning. He plays the sixth suite on a four-string cello with no apparent difficulty (Bach had envisaged the use of the more exotic five-stringed instrument for the piece). Unaffected, honest musicianship at its best."

BC

"Having been inspired to take up the cello through listening to Casals’s performances of the Bach Suites, it’s perhaps inevitable that David Kenedy, a pupil of Aldo Parisot and Boris Pergamenshikow, should have approached the prospect of committing to disc his own interpretations of these works with some trepidation. The challenges are legion, not merely through trying to master the harmonic and contrapuntal implications of the music within one line, but also in attempting to preserve the spirit of the dance. But Kenedy’s performances are obviously carefully thought through, have a clear emotional map of each suite and use a harmonic and contrapuntal logic that is effectively portrayed in the kind of warmly recorded performances you’d be happy to hear in the concert hall."

Joanne Talbot

"As he approaches 50, David Kenedy felt a need to record this music which inspired him to pick up the cello in the first place. The result is a heart-felt, passionate performance of some of the most beautiful Bach works ever, and David plays them wonderfully. He says: ’This music seems to want to come out of me… to tell my version of its pain and joy, truth and beauty.’ If you are a fan of these cello suites, then this is a great new recording from Signum classics for you to enjoy."
 

"Inspired at a young age by hearing the legendary Pablo Casals play Bach’s Six Cello Suites, the cellist David Kenedy, professor at Trinity College of Music in London, now brings the same music to disc. He shares Casals’s snarling, passionate bow and very deliberate articulation, giving the music, in some cases, an almost staccato touch. Some listeners might prefer a more legato line, particularly in Suite No. 5, where the chords have a tendency almost to bark. Kenedy differs from the master in certain important respects: he performs at slightly slower tempi, takes no liberties emphasising bowed notes with a left hand pizzicato, and smokes no pipe while playing - but otherwise the Spaniard’s ghost is certainly here."

Rick Jones

"In sum, these are most musical and intelligent readings, combining brilliance and elegance with a sincere musical purpose. The recordings are very good indeed and this set is warmly recommended."

Robert Matthew-Walker