Roel Dieltiens takes a highly individual view of the Suites. His performances are made even more striking by a vivid recording: the balance is close enough to catch a good deal of the “fizz” of his gut strings. In one or two places, indeed, the tone seems slightly scratchy, but more often I find this edge to the sound simply adds character. Dieltiens is an outgoing performer, not afraid to use extravagant rubato; he combines this with fine musical understanding and a firm sense of the underlying rhythm, giving pieces like the first part of the Fifth Suite’s Prelude a compelling, untrammelled expressive quality. He’s concerned, too, about separating Bach’s phrases clearly – an admirable aim but sometimes resulting in excessive gaps and loss of momentum. Even the brilliantly played Gigue of the Fourth suite would, I think, be better without such substantial and frequent pauses for breath. And his usually masterly rubato seems misapplied in the more simple, tuneful pieces. For instance, Jaap ter Linden’s more sober account (Harmonia Mundi, 10/97R) is certainly to be preferred in the Third Suite’s Bourrée. Unlike the unaccompanied violin music, Bach’s Cello Suites have no autograph source, so there’s no single right way of determining which notes should be detached or played smoothly in the same bow stroke. Dieltiens opts for more detached bowing than most cellists but, as far as I can see, isn’t concerned too much about consistency; the result is not always completely convincing but has the merit of liveliness and unpredictability. He even adapts the text on occasion – not only with splendidly spontaneous-sounding ornamentation but also by playing the first strain in the Sixth Suite’s Sarabande as a single line, only introducing the chordal accompaniment on the repeat. The Sarabandes are the high-point of the set; firm rhythm, eloquent phrasing and wide expressive range make for a series of outstanding performances, above all the stark, searing account of the extraordinary Sarabande in the Fifth Suite. In short, these are daring, very personal interpretations. You may not agree with everything Dieltiens does but you’re sure to be enlightened and inspirited.