J S Bach - Cello Suites.

Soloist Alexander Kniasev.

Warner Classics 25646 1294-2.

Three-CD set.

THE Bach Cello Suites have a special place in the repertoire of cellists who are masters of their instrument.

A solo platform means that the player must be dexterous, emotional and technically perfect.

There are many famous recordings, Pablo Casals' being one of the earliest; indeed it was he who resurrected the works from relative obscurity in the 1930s.

Since then, they have become a favourite of many and admired greatly.

They are primarily a feat of endurance and must be among the most technically complex works a cellist can play.

As you move through the suites the playing becomes more difficult and also more expressive and, executed well, can be sublime.

Alexander Kniasev has fast become one of the most eminent violincellists of the day and started taking lessons at the age of six.

Born and raised in Moscow, he can also play the organ. In 1999, he was named Russian Musician of the Year and he regularly performs with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Here, Knaisev has recorded a wonderfully emotive and defined performance on these three CDs, and it is to his credit that he has used restraint and precision to bring the score to life.

The cello used in this recording belongs to the Russian State collection and was made in 1733 in Cremona; a fitting instrument on which to play such beautiful music.