I - Movement 1 to 3 /II - Movement 4 to 6
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Cello Suites (Bach)
The Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach are some of the most performed and recognizable solo compositions ever written for cello. They were most likely composed during the period 1717–1723, when Bach served as a Kapellmeister in Cöthen.
The suites contain a great variety of technical devices, a wide emotional range, and some of Bach's most compelling voice interactions and conversations. It is their intimacy, however, that has made the suites amongst Bach's most popular works today, resulting in their different recorded interpretations being fiercely defended by their respective advocates.
The suites have been transcribed for numerous instruments, including the violin, viola, double bass, viola da gamba, mandolin, piano, marimba, classical guitar, recorder, electric bass, horn, saxophone, bass clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, euphonium, tuba, ukulele, and charango.
The Suites
The suites are in six movements each, and have the following structure and order of movements.
1. Prelude / 2. Allemande / 3. Courante / 4. Sarabande / 5. Galanteries – (Minuets for Suites 1 and 2, Bourrées for 3 and 4, Gavottes for 5 and 6) / 6. Gigue
The Suites have been performed and recorded by many renowned cellists such as Pablo Casals, Janos Starker, Mstislav Rostropovich, Yo-Yo Ma and Mischa Maisky. Ma won the 1985 Best Instrumental Soloist Grammy Award for his best selling album "Six Unaccompanied Cello Suites".Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007
The Prelude, mainly consisting of arpeggiated chords, is probably the best known movement from the entire set of suites and is regularly heard on television and in films. Most students begin with this suite as it is assumed to be easier to play than the others in terms of the technique required.
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