RAPHAEL WALLFISCH - An Encounter with Bach

This concert was funded by a very generous gift from Moira Smith. She has donated Raphael Wallfisch’s fee and the cost of hiring Holy Trinity Church. We are extremely grateful to Moira for her kindness.

Review by Hilary Dexter

On Sunday 8 th March, Raphael Wallfisch, one of the country’s leading cellists, gave a
solo recital in the beautiful surrounds of Ripon’s Holy Trinity Church. It was an
unusual choice of programme comprising 4 of Bach’s 6 unaccompanied Suites
interspersed with readings from the composer’s diaries and contemporaneous
accounts of his life and work. The afternoon sparkled from the very first notes and the
audience were spellbound thoughout.

There were many interesting nuggets of information which don’t arise in the usual
brief biographical accounts of a composer’s life. In one spoken interlude between
movements Raphael read out comments in Bach’s hand written text next to verses in
his personal bible. Another reading was from his employers in Leipzig commenting
on his insubordination and over-ambitious plans with regard to his teaching duties.
There was also a contemporary review of Bach’s Coffee Cantata and a warning of the
perceived dangers of the new drug coffee, and Raphael also recited a couple of
comical rhyming poems Bach had written about his fondness for tobacco.

The Cello Suites all begin with a Prelude which is then followed by a differing series
of baroque dance movements, each with its own characteristic rhythmic feature.
These include the allemande, courante, sarabande, minuet, bouree, gavotte and gigue.
Raphael Wallfisch has performed the Suites extensively in recitals as well as giving
masterclasses on them; I was interested recently to watch one such recording on the
4 th E flat major Suite and then see him explore these musical ideas in his own recital.
Bach died in 1750 after several years’ ill health and 2 failed eye operations leaving
him almost completely blind. The last reading in the programme concerning this was
then followed by the serene Sarabande from the 2 nd Suite which had been omitted
earlier in the programme. Its slow pace and rhythmic features with the dark tonalities
of the key of D minor were so fitting to commemorate the end of the composer’s life.
The final Suite in the series is believed to have been composed specifically for a five-
stringed violoncello piccolo with the 5 th upper string being tuned to E. It is technically
a challenging work and as a cellist myself I was fascinated to see and hear such an
instrument being played.

Raphael Wallfisch performed the programme on 2 different instruments, Suites 1, 2, 3
and 5 on a beautiful 1735 Italian instrument made during Bach’s lifetime and the
final Suite on a violoncello piccolo which he commissioned back in 2021. He
explained to the capacity audience how it came about as a Covid lockdown project
and the difficulties he then faced with learning to play such an instrument. I found
myself transfixed with the beauty of his playing and also somewhat perplexed as to
how a player would get used to thinking around the notes produced by the extra
string.

A stunning recital and a wonderful way to round off Ripon Concerts’ current season.
Thank you to all involved for enabling such an event to take place.

At the beginning of the afternoon Raphael awarded Power of 10 volunteering certificates to our 6 young volunteers who have assisted us throughout the season. We are very proud of them and we love them being involved in the Ripon Concerts team1

Photo Credit ©Karl Blackwell