A Brief Overview – Suites Full Of Mysteries
Bach’s cello suites were probably composed around 1720. But conceivably any time between 1717 and 1723. This was a period when he also composed his solo violin sonatas and partitas.
At the time he was Kapellmeister in Kothen and appears to have been free from financial worries. Hence the music doesn’t appear to have been composed as a result of a commission.
Furthermore, there doesn’t appear to have been any particular performer in mind for the pieces.
However, it is known the court orchestra did have its fair share of virtuosi amongst its ranks.
The Movements of the Suites.
The 6 suites each consist of six movements with all including a prelude, allemande, courante, sarabande, and close with a gigue. The only deviations are in the 5th movements where the first 2 incorporate a pair of minuets, the 3rd and 4th bourrees, and the final 2 gavottes.
Nominally, apart from the introductory preludes, they are all dance movements, a typical choice for instrumental compositions at that time. Although, they are stylised dances, it will be evident to anyone listening to the suites that they were not actually intended to be danced to.
Why Bach composed the suites is a mystery in itself as there is no evidence he played the cello. He was a competent violinist.
A change for the ‘cello.
Up until these pieces, the cello had been used as an accompanying instrument in support of the melody or to provide a bass continuo in a piece. In addition, his solo compositions weren’t just ground breaking they were way ahead of their time in the demands made of the soloist.
The cello is principally a single line instrument yet Bach was using it to create 3 or even 4 voices. Contrapuntal and polyphonic mastery creating superb music. The listener is drawn into sensing more than is really there. Was this really just Bach challenging himself to see how far he could push the limits?
We may never know.
The elusive Manuscript.
Then we come to the questions surrounding the manuscript itself. The violin sonatas and partitas of that period are in Bach’s own hand and give copious directions on how they should be played.
In contrast, no such manuscript exists for the cello suites. Indeed, we don’t even have one in his own hand. The nearest we have to a solid source text was actually written out by his second wife Anna Magdalena. Allegedly a copy from an original, that actually dates back to the 1730’s.
Different Editions.
There are a number of modern editions also in circulation. This includes one from the eminent Bach cellist Fournier. These others arise partly as a result of perceived inaccuracies in the manuscript suggesting Anna Magdalena had produced it rather too quickly or possibly just without due care and attention.
However, another reason for various editions is, unlike the aforementioned solo violin pieces, the cello suites are completely devoid of performance instructions or even tempos. The lack of a manuscript in Bach’s own hand even led to one professor declaring in 2006 that he believed Anna Magdalena herself composed the suites.
However, this idea has failed to gain traction amongst musicologists, critics and performers.
Which Instrument?
Still, at least we can be sure the suites were actually composed for the cello can’t we? Well yes, and no….It is true that the Anna Magdalena version clearly states on its title page the suites are for Violoncello. However, at that time the cello was not a standardised instrument. Indeed, this designation was used to describe several different types of bass violin. One possible instrument intended would be the viola da spalla, which was a small cello played braced against the shoulder.
Another would be the viola da gamba. In any event, the sixth of Bach’s suites which was noted as being for 5 strings was clearly going beyond our standard cello today. In current times, artists sometimes play on a suitably stringed and smaller piccolo cello. This tends to be for historical accuracy. Although it does have to be said the Suite’s high lying nature makes significant demands of the performer when played on a standard cello.
What about today?
So where do all these uncertainties leave performers today? And ultimately ourselves as listeners? Well perhaps surprisingly they could be seen as beneficial. They require the performer to investigate the suites deeply before tackling them.
Moreover, they need to think very carefully about how and why they will interpret them in a particular way. This, not surprisingly leads to the wide variety of interpretations and recordings out there. This is ultimately I feel a great boon to the listener. Because, the music itself is already inherently wonderful in its own right, when partnered with different interpretations, it provides us with a lifetime’s enjoyment and exploration to come. This applies, be they historically informed, romantically inspired, analytical, or spiritual,
Happy listening!