CANCELLED: Mischa Maisky

40 years ago, Mischa Maisky recorded the six solo suites for cello by Johann Sebastian Bach – a legendary recording. »Bach was the greatest Romantic of his time, and on many different levels.« With these words, cellist Mischa Maisky describes his approach to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach not only wrote the greatest amount of remarkable music in the history of music, he was also a father and was therefore at the centre of life. Maisky’s gripping, emotionally charged interpretation of the Thomaskantor’s music is based on this understanding, making it certainly one of, if not the central work in Maisky’s concert repertoire. With a mischievous smile, he declaims: »If I say that music is my religion, then these six solo suites are my bible.«

Who is still surprised that Maisky’s cello suites are an absolute hit on YouTube? The first suite currently has over 58 million views, a figure that dwarfs anything comparable. But contact with the audience has always been the most important thing for Maisky. Performing the complete Bach suites is one of the most strenuous tasks as a soloist: »They are undoubtedly the greatest challenge. And the most beautiful when they succeed.« However, he is never interested in showing how well he can play. »I will never be the best cellist, but I could certainly play more precisely and clearly if I concentrated on that.« But then something else that is more essential to him would be lost: »Expressiveness. That’s more important to me than perfection.«