The many ways to play Bach

Updated: Aug 8, 2022

Sharing thoughts and discoveries on performing the Bach Cello Suites...

One of the greatest problems, or perhaps greatest gifts J S Bach left us, is the complete lack of guidance on performance. This is particularly true with his 6 cello suites. This becomes more challenging when two people, Bach's second wife, Anna Magdalena copied a large amount of her husband's work.. Johann Peter Kellner was another musician who also copied most likely from a different source because there're so many differences between the two versions. And it is possible that neither were from Bach's original script.

Below is the link to an excellent article by Isserlis who covers this topic in detail. I certainly agrees with statement that:

“So deciding on the bowings is a lifelong task – since one will inevitably keep changing one’s mind.”

Steven Isserlis

As a newcomer to the cello, I found my bowing choices were based around what came most easily to me, only to find when the bowing choices I made were secure, I found alternative bowing that suited me more. A good example is again, the Prelude to Cello Suite no. 1 where having mastered the typical phrase of 3 slurred notes followed by 5 separate notes, I now prefer to play the whole half bar phrase in one bow for its smooth sound. I have no doubt this will change again....

Please click the link below to the article - it really is one of the the best explanations and sources fo comfort when working with Bach.

Below is the link to an excellent article by Isserlis who covers this topic in detail. I certainly agrees with statement that:

“So deciding on the bowings is a lifelong task – since one will inevitably keep changing one’s mind.”

Steven Isserlis

As a newcomer to the cello, I found my bowing choices were based around what came most easily to me, only to find when the bowing choices I made were secure, I found alternative bowing that suited me more. A good example is again, the Prelude to Cello Suite no. 1 where having mastered the typical phrase of 3 slurred notes followed by 5 separate notes, I now prefer to play the whole half bar phrase in one bow for its smooth sound. I have no doubt this will change again....

Please click the link below to the article - it really is one of the the best explanations and sources fo comfort when working with Bach.

Interpreting Bach

All things Cello and beyond, whether album reviews, book reviews, performances, concerts,

One of the most fascinating aspects of playing music is that so many people play the same piece in different ways - as they should. As a performer, a musician makes hundreds of minute decisions during the preparation of a work to get the performance they want. These decisions are often grounded in intuition, musicians and personal  preferences.

Here are three performances of the same work. In this case Back's Prelude from the Cello Suite number 4.

Bruno Cocset 

Mischa Maisky

Yo Yo Ma

Which do you prefer? Or can you suggest another performance?