Title: Well worth watching a 76 year old master
Product review: In 1990 when these performances were filmed, Paul Tortelier was 76 years old and ill with heart disease, which took his life only a few months afterwards. As his son Yan Pascal says in the notes, these performances are not perfect. There are indeed lapses of wrong, or out of tune, notes. But they are more than made up for by the spirited, emotional playing and the beautiful sound. There are frequent close-ups of Tortelier's face, maybe a few too many, but they do show the intensity of the performances. There are also many close-ups of his beautiful (and huge) left hand, which is a joy to watch in action. Not many cellists would, or should, perform all six Bach suites in public at age 76. But we should give thanks that Paul Tortelier chose to do so, and that the performances were recorded for posterity.
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