Bach - cello suites.

Pablo Casals (recorded 1936-1939). Unsurpassed. Feeling and conviction. Every gesture is persuasive. Lives and breathes them.
(Youtube) Suite 1 Suite 2 Suite 3 Suite 4 Suite 5 Suite 6

There are many interesting recordings, among them Jian Wang (2005), Anner Bylsma (1992), Edgar Meyer on double bass (suites 1, 2, & 5; 2000). Nikolaus Harnoncourt is more famous as a conductor, but he took a stab for Teldec's complete-Bach set (playlist here).

The suites are superbly suited to viola. Currently in love with Helen Callus's confident turn (playlist here). A sample... suite 4, prelude:

Too heavy/dour. Too long. Too organ-y. Too much.

Next.

Bach - WTC book 1, prelude 2.
1) Triplets of Belleville on a bicycle tire (@ 2:17).
2) Ralph Kirkpatrick on clavichord.

I'm glad it finally came in at the very end, was getting annoyed to heck I couldn't recognize a Bach piece I know so well

Here's another one for ya.
Bach: WTC book 1, prelude 1/ Gounod: "Ave Maria". McFerrin + audience.



It's a nice space, but wouldn't I love to have been in the crowd in this version - in the rain.

My jaw dropped when he started doing the prelude

So I'm assuming the Gounod was made to go over it? It sounds a little wonky at some parts towards the end, but for the most part seems like they were made to go together. Or maybe that's just a consequence of them being in the same key, the Bach piece being specifically about practicing in keys? (Apologies if this sounds dumb, my academic-technical knowledge of music ain't so hot)

Yep, Gounod built his piece on top of the prelude.

Boxed Stravinsky on random, improves the news no end.

For some reason the mention of Stravinsky always makes me want to listen to Frank Zappa more than Stravinsky.