J.S. Bach: Six Suites for Viola Solo

Violist Kim Kashkashian regards the cello suites of Johann Sebastian Bach as a photo tinter might a black-and-white photograph. In shining the composer’s genius through a lighter instrument, she gets closer to the heart of these canonical works. Admittedly, we must accustom our ears to the inevitable timbral changes, but once the reality of Kashkashian’s own genius settles us in, we are already part of its fabric. While “thinking out loud” is a descriptor often reserved for jazz improvisers, Kashkashian shows herself worthy of the same, especially in the Suite IV in E-flat major. Sublime from beginning to end.