Every suite begins with a Prelude, which tends to be dramatic, improvisatory, and full of character. As a result, the Cello Suites sound full and deeply resonant, even though they are played by a single instrument.īach used the dance suite form for the Cello Suites, and each Suite consists of six movements. The listener mentally “fills in” the remaining harmony notes without realizing that they are missing. Despite the cello’s inability to play full chords, Bach makes clever use of double stops, arpeggios, and alternating musical registers to create the illusion of harmony. One of the most remarkable aspects of Bach’s compositions for solo instruments is that they tend to sound as if they are played by more than one instrument. While Bach was not the first composer to write music for a solo instrument, his contribution to the cello repertoire was highly unusual at the time, and ultimately transformed the public’s perception of the capabilities and limitations of the cello. This convention especially applied to a lower-pitched instrument such as the cello, which had previously been viewed as an accompaniment instrument. Although nowadays pieces of music written for solo instruments are relatively common, in Bach’s time, it was quite unusual for music to be written for a solo instrument. During his time in Cöthen, Bach mainly wrote instrumental music for soloists or ensembles, and this output included six Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, the six Cello Suites, and a Partita for solo Flute.
Most of the Cello Suites were written around 1720, while Bach worked as Kapellmeister (Court Music Director) for Prince Leopold in Cöthen. Peter Kellner from the early-mid 1700’s, another by two unknown authors from the mid 1700’s, and yet another by an unknown author from the late 1700’s (all of these manuscripts can be viewed here: ). Three other early manuscripts survive: one by J. Instead, it was intended for violinist Georg Heinrich Ludwig Schwanenberger. Interestingly, this manuscript was not written for a cellist. The earliest surviving manuscript of the Cello Suites was penned by Bach’s second wife, Anna Magdalena Bach between 17, and is the source for most of what we know about the Cello Suites today. In other words, the Cello Suites could have been originally written for another string instrument! (see this fascinating article: ). We don’t know the exact date that they were composed, or what tempo, dynamics, or even instrumentation Bach intended for each movement. Because of this development, we are left with many questions concerning the composition of the Cello Suites.
However, although the Cello Suites were composed approximately three centuries ago, there is much that is not known about this iconic composition.įirst of all, the original manuscript is lost. As a result, their place in musical history appears to be exceedingly secure. Most people have at least heard the opening notes of the Prelude to the first Cello Suite. The Cello Suites have even made their way into contemporary mainstream culture via television performances, movies, videos, and radio. They have become a fixture of the classical music repertoire. Bach’s Six Cello Suites have been studied, performed, and recorded by countless musicians (including classical guitarists).
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