Sonia Wieder-Atherton: Bach

The Strad Issue: March 2025

Description: Bach seen through a Romantic filter that won’t be to all tastes

Musicians: Sonia Wieder-Atherton (cello)

Works: Bach: Cello Suites nos.1 and 2

Catalogue number: ALPHA 1053

Ever the experimenter, American cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton’s first two Bach suites are the complete antithesis of most recent recordings. Atmospherically recorded in the resonant acoustic of the refectory of the Abbaie de Noirlac, these are free-flowing, spacious, often idiosyncratic interpretations.

Whereas over the past few decades cellists have tended to take their cue for the bowings from the available contemporary manuscripts, Wieder-Atherton liberally adds slurs and rubato – in the G major Prelude there is hardly a separate bow in sight, the pedal notes resonating beautifully at the start of each bar.

In keeping with the Romantic tenor of her interpretations, Wieder-Atherton, who studied at Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Conservatoire before winning the 1986 Rostropovich Competition, often uses vibrato for expression, but pulls the tempo around to the extent that it sometimes impedes the flow. Both Allemandes are a case in point, with no.2’s more a private meditation than a dance.

There is character aplenty in her playing. Her G major minuets are whimsical, tripping along cheekily, while the D minor pair are characterised by crisp staccato quavers and plenty of white space. The Sarabandes are super-slow, the G major gently meditative, with the occasional hint of portamento.

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