The Cellist Petr Skalka - "Improvisation" album - CD Review, 8th - 9th of February, 2024

Debut album, released on the 9th of February

"Johann Sebastian Bach's solo cello suites represent the essence of this composer's creation, and Bach himself is the essence of all music," said the renowned cellist Pablo Casals of the six suites composed between 1717 and 1723 during the baroque musician's time as chapel-master in Köthen. These suites have captivated important cellists around the world over the past century and are available to pre-classical music enthusiasts in various recordings.

The latest version of Bach's suites comes from the esteemed Czech cellist Petr Skalka. He recorded them in August 2020 for the Swiss label Claves Records, and the album was officially released on the 9th of February 2024. In addition of the aforementioned masterpieces, the double disc includes the Passacaglia in C minor after a theme for violin from Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber's Rosary Sonatas and an improvisation created for solo cello by Petr Skalka, being a short slow introduction into the baroque style.

Petr Skalka grew up in a musically inclined family in Marienbad, Czech Republic. His first encounter with music happened by the means of his father, who was also a cellist. After studying at the Conservatory in Pilsen, Skalka's interest in early music and playing on historical instruments led him to perfect his skills under the esteemed French musician Christophe Coin at the Cantorum Basiliensis School, where he currently teaches. At the same time, he has a rich singing career across European stages, collaborating with ensembles such as Cafe Zimmermann, La Chambre Philharmonique, and Ensemble Baroque de Limoges, as well as musicians such as Gustav Leonhardt, Emmanuel Krivine, and Christophe Coin, presenting a varied repertoire centered on the 18th-century music. The cellist has previously released recordings of pieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johannes Mattheson, and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and received the Diapason d'Or and the Classica awards, being recognized for the rich sound and depth he brings to his cello.

Petr Skalka also provides this album's presentation: "The emotions of today's cellists are the same as those of an 18th-century musician. But they are of different intensity and interconnectedness. A concert is also completely different nowadays. We perform Bach's suites in large halls for larger audiences than in the past. Yet, these pieces remain the most intimate chamber creations ever composed and hold a significant importance in the universal repertoire. Today's cellists are always speculating about these suites, but trying to establish a standard interpretation seems impossible. It changes constantly," says Petr Skalka. The musician appears to focus his version on the detailed adherence to the score, sonic suppleness and the authentic baroque interpretation, showcasing impeccable instrumental technique.