Britten"s Cello Suites were written for Mstislav Rostropovich, whose Decca recordings of the first two are nonpareil. Recently, technically assured, interpretively divergent accounts by Truls Mørk (Virgin) and Rohan de Saram (Montaigne) have won praise, and now Dutch cellist Pieter Wispelwey, who"s made many admirable discs for Channel Classics, joins their company. All of Wispelwey"s recordings reveal a personal touch; none more so than these Britten Suites. He can go to extremes, as in the sluggish tempos and altered rhythms of some movements. Such wayward touches should not deter, for he plays throughout with gorgeous rounded tones and obvious identification with the music, as can be heard in the great Chaconne of Suite No. 2, and in the way the fugues are played with emotional power and technical aplomb. The engineering brings Wispelwey and his cello right into your listening room, too. These works have the depth to take multiple interpretive stances, so Britten fans and cello enthusiasts will want more than one, and Wispelwey offers a strong alternative view of these endlessly fascinating works. --Dan Davis