Bach’s six cello suites stand as beloved pinnacles of solo musical expression, providing insight into the legacy of courtly dance music through their dance-inspired melodies. In this video the eminent cellist Pieter Wispelwey, who was to join OSL this summer, performs Bach’s first cello suite specially recorded for Bach at Home 2020.
Bach’s six Cello Suites (BWV 1007 through 1012) were mostly likely written around 1720, while Bach was employed in the court at Cöthen. Though the six suites follow the same structure (a prelude, plus five movements based on courtly dance rhythms), they each have a distinct character of their own. The first suite–Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major– is famous for its Prelude, a constant cascade of arpeggios familiar to many listeners.
Cello Suite No. 1, BWV 1007
Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major begins with a bold, wide-ranging Prelude marked “presto,” but its most well-known movement is the Bourée. Divided into two contrasting parts, the first…
Read More >
Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor is the only one of the six suites to claim a minor key as its home. The fifth Sarabande is also unique for…
Read More >
