Recording the Bach Suites: Inbal Megiddo on Risk, Voice, and Freedom

In this episode of the Cello Museum Podcast, Dr. Brenda Neece speaks with Dr. Inbal Megiddo about recording J. S. Bach’s Cello Suites — a project that demands not only technical mastery, but artistic courage.Megiddo reflects on the long journey toward recording the six suites, including pandemic interruptions that led her to re-record the first three. The result, she explains, is not a definitive statement on Bach, but a deeply personal moment in an ongoing artistic life.The conversation explores:How the Bach Suites unfold as a journey through the stages of lifeAldo Parisot’s teaching philosophy and the search for an authentic voice“Free, but in tempo” — freedom within pulseWhy new recordings of Bach still matterRecording at Stella Maris in New Zealand Creativity inspired by the natural beauty and frontier spirit of New ZealandThe role of silence, breath, and storytelling in performanceAdvice for cellists studying the Bach suitesExperimenting with baroque bows, gut strings, and modern instrumentsPandemic-era music-making and the enduring power of the First Suite PreludeMegiddo also discusses her forthcoming book on Aldo Parisot’s pedagogy, her upcoming album Forbidden Voices (featuring music by composers suppressed during the Holocaust), and a new recording of works by Clara and Robert Schumann.At the heart of this conversation lies a bold artistic principle about finding one's one voice:Nothing is sacred. Question everything. Take risks.Listen to Inbal Megiddo’s recording of the Bach Suites:Listen on YouTubeBuy on Amazon (affiliate link)Explore more at the Cello Museum: https://cellomuseum.orgThe Cello Museum Podcast is the official podcast of the Cello Museum.Explore articles, exhibitions, and upcoming events at: https://cellomuseum.org Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and share this episode with fellow cellists and music lovers.If this conversation inspires you to explore unaccompanied cello repertoire, join us in Delaware this summer at the Bethany Beach Cellofest (9–16 August). Find details here.