Bach : Suites for Violoncello Solo

The Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach are acclaimed as one of the greatest works ever composed for this instrument.

They were probably written in or around 1720, when Bach served as court chapel-master in Cöthen.

The suites present a great variety of technical challenges, emotional content, and multiple-voice interaction.

It is to be noted that Bach's autograph manuscript of the six cello suites has not survived.

Instead, there are four copyist manuscripts available dating from the 18th century, the most valuable of which is a copy prepared by Bach's wife Anna Magdalena, probably between the years 1727 and 1731, and which is considered to be the closest to Bach's original.

However, there are many discrepancies between these four sources, especially in the placement of slurs and other articulation marks.

Moreover, for proper performance practice, we suggest adhering to the downstroke rule, according to which downstrokes usually occur on strong beats, or at least on the first beat of a bar.

Details about Bach : Suites for Violoncello Solo

Title : Suites for Violoncello Solo, BWV 1007-1012
Subtitle : Suites for Unaccompanied Cello
Composer : Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750)
Catalog : BWV 1007-1012
Style : Baroque
Composed/published : ca 1720
Original instrumentation : Cello solo

Sources : Johann Sebastian Bach, Six Suites for Violoncello Solo, BWV 1007-1012 (ca 1720).

Catalogue	Title	Key	Instrumentation
BWV 1007 (I)	Suite 1, BWV 1007 (I : Prelude) -- Urtext ♥	G Major	Cello solo
BWV 1008 (I)	Suite 2, BWV 1008 (I : Prelude) -- Urtext	D minor	Cello solo
BWV 1009	Suite 3, BWV 1009 (Bourrées 1-2) -- Urtext ♥	C Major	Cello solo

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Details about Bach : Suites for Violoncello Solo

Sheet music associated with Bach : Suites for Violoncello Solo