With his bushy gray hair and Issey Miyake pleated shirts, he seemed more like an ascetic onstage than a musician. But on May 6 Latvian cellist Mischa Maisky will perform his all-time favorite, Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Sans pianist Martha Argerich ― one of his lifelong musical partners and who was to perform Beethoven, Schubert and Stravinsky with him in Korea but cancelled last week due to a health condition ― Maisky is to feature Bach’s Cello Suite Nos. 1, 3 and 5 out of the suite’s six original pieces at Seoul Arts Center. 

The last-minute change in the program is, however, expected to pose minimum anxiety to the cellist as well as his fans since the pieces are Maisky’s specialty: He performed them at more than 100 recitals in 2000 to honor the 250th anniversary of the German composer’s death and many more thereafter.

“If I could say that music is my religion, then these suites are the Bible,” he once said.

This will be Maisky’s first solo recital in Korea in 13 years while in 2011 he performed with his son and daughter. The protg of the Russian master Mstislav Rostropovich has been one of the most admired musicians here both for his musicianship and his personal history.

The Jewish-Latvian cellist gained international stardom, winning various competitions throughout the 1960s and ’70s. In 1972, he settled in Israel and has since trotted around the world to share his love for music ― with or without the best orchestras at best concert halls ― and released numerous bestselling records including the Bach suites.

He is famous for having supported Korean cellist Chang Han-na, who was also a student of Rostropovich and later became Maisky’s own pupil, make it in the international music scene. The Latvian also recorded an album that includes gagok, a style of Korean vocal music for mixed male and female voices, and has visited Korea more than 10 times.

“Maisky’s Bach is very refined, reminding us of a very well-trained vocalist’s performances. Sometimes, his performances are criticized for being too emotional, but it was a great shock to people back then to learn that Bach could be so romantic,” said Credia, the organizer of the recital.

“He won’t be lazy with the performance, as he once referred to the Bach pieces as a mountain that he will never conquer.”

Tickets are priced between 40,000 won and 120,000 won. Reservation is available at www.interpark.com and www.clubbalcony.co.kr. For more information, call 1577-5266.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)