Wolfgang Enke's review says 'Suzuki's approach is more romantic than Starkers', and Christopher Witmer's review says '"romantic" is one of the last words I would choose to describe Suzuki's playing'. What is going on here?
When I put the first Suzuki disc on, I was impressed by the smooth warmth of the sound. The cellist wife was impressed by the depth of sound... approximately a half-tone lower than the Starker version and the tuning she has used all her life. Suzuki is playing period instruments, tuned to period pitch (perhaps A=400Hz, compared to the modern North American 440Hz). Suzuki also is bowing with a short baroque bow.
That being so, how could one mistake this for 'romantic'? Well, perhaps because it is soooo beautifully played and captured on disc -- qualities seldom associated with baroque strings (right, Bruce?). Suzuki manages to draw long phrases with the short bow, and Fritz Kreislerish sweetness from baroque strings. Apparently baroque doesn't have to have a bite (and ironically Starker's version has lots of bite, snap, growl...).
Don't avoid the Starker for its bite, or the Suzuki for its honey-sweet sound: the cellist wife declares both recordings are must-haves.
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