J.S.Bach, Cello Suites
The six Suites for solo unaccompanied cello constitute one of the great
pinnacles of creative achievement not merely in the world of chamber music,
but in all forms of artistic endeavour. They were composed around 1720 when
Bach was employed as the Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold at the court of
Köthen, in what is now the province of Saxony-Anhalt. Unlike other periods of
his life, notably that in Leipzig, during which his responsibilities were very
much tied to the Church and its musical requirements, the Köthen years
enabled him to concentrate on secular compositions including the
Brandenburg Concertos, the first book of the Well-Tempered Clavier and
partitas and sonatas for violin.
The cello suites were remarkably innovative in character. Until their
appearance, the cello had been mainly used as an accompanying instrument in
support of the melody, or to provide a bass continuo, far removed from the
limelight of solo exposure. Furthermore, traditionally it had been used as
providing a single musical line whereas for Bach it can carry three of four
voices, thus moving it into the sphere of contrapuntal and polyphonic
expression, as well as creating great demands for the performer.
Although these works plumb the depth of human emotions, their outward
construction is more prosaic. The suite was a dominant form of instrumental
chamber music in the late Renaissance and Baroque eras. It comprised a set of
dances (though for listening not physical cavorting!), drawing on styles from
across Europe. Each dance features a particular tempo, rhythm, and character
and all six suites include four standard dances at their core: allemande;
courante; sarabande and gigue.
The cello suites were not formally published until 1824, more than a century
after their composition and it seems that even then they were regarded as
exercises or studies for private use, rather than for public performance. For the
sake of posterity, it was fortunate that in 1890 a 13-year-old Catalan cello
student, one Pablo Casals, discovered a printed copy at a second-hand
bookshop. His obsession with them remained for many years personal and it
was only in the 1930s that his recording of the pieces led to a recognition of
their unique quality.
Suite No 1 in G major
If the first suite has become the most popular in the group, this is perhaps
because it lies within the capacities of amateur musicians, even though it also
presents some challenges for professionals. It begins with an imposing Prelude
the broken of chords of which allow the cello strings to resonate. The
Allemande which follows flows more evenly, while the Courante (literally
“running”) with its three-beat rhythm can be described as almost chirpy, in
contrast to the slow and stately Sarabande. For the penultimate movement,
Bach imports the fashionable Menuet dance form with its elegant pulse; and
the suite concludes with a light-hearted Gigue which, though French in style, is
apparently an adaptation of a British jig.
A collection of disparate dances? Yes but, though this might not be easy to
spot, the composer creates some connection between them by using the first
three notes of the Prelude in the opening bars of each of the subsequent
movements.
Suite No 3 in C major
The cheerful tone of the first suite is mirrored in the dances explored in the
third. Good humour, indeed, dominates the start of Prelude as the soloist
slides down two octaves and continues into the light-hearted Allemande, as
well as the restless Courante which like the Prelude begins with a descending
scale. The pace slows with the Sarabande and perhaps necessarily so since the
writing for the cello becomes more complex, as the performer has to grapple
with many double stops and broken chords. The contrastingly simple Bourrée I
and Bourrée II invoke a world of peasant dancing, while the lively concluding
Gigue might make the listener imagine acrobats performing their antics.
Suite No 5 in C minor
After the sunny character of the G major and C major suites, the fifth descends
into darkness. Not inappropriately, it is the only piece in the group to be
written in a minor key. The Prelude emerges from the depths as if it were
composed for the organ and leads to a fugue-like passage – not an easy
undertaking for a single instrument. The stern, elaborate Allemande follows
but there is a welcome, albeit short, interval of lightness with the energetic
Courante. Then comes the lean, joyless Sarabande which is remarkable for
being the only movement in the six suites containing no chords, the melodies
alone providing the harmony. Two French dances complete the piece: the
double Gavotte with its constant, sometimes breathless, motion; and then the
Gigue which, true to the spirit of the fifth suite, is here unusually subdued.
Suite No 6 in D major
The final suite is a worthy culmination to the group. What some may regard as
its life-affirming quality is, in part at least, the result of a fifth, higher string
being added to the normal four, enabling a lighter, more radiant sound to
emerge from the cello. This is experienced immediately in the cheerful,
bounding Prelude. The Allemande may be quietly introverted but it is soon
outshone by the Sarabande which in this suite is noteworthy for its succession
of rich chords. The Gavottes restore the good humour and the piece ends
suitably with a Gigue requiring virtuoso execution.
© Anthony Ogus