Johann Sebastian Bach composed a substantial part of his orchestral and chamber works, including the six Brandenburg Concertos and the six cello suites, during his time in Köthen.
Composition History
Bach's six cello suites were likely written for Christian Ferdinand Abel, the respected first cellist at the Köthen court.
Compositional Technique
The fifth cello suite uses 'scordatura,' where the A-string is retuned to G, a practice not generally followed today.
Critical Reception
Bach's cello suites did not gain widespread appreciation in his own time, and only entered the standard repertoire after Pablo Casals discovered an 1878 edition.
Instruments
The cello, like the violin, was an instrumental innovation from the mid-16th century, with early versions made by Andrea Amati.
Compositional Technique
The sixth cello suite was written for a somewhat enigmatic five-stringed instrument, making the original music not immediately applicable to a normal four-stringed cello.
Performer Biography
Erling Blöndal Bengtsson, the cellist on this recording, was given a violin at age three but insisted on holding it between his knees, leading to him playing a viola with an end-pin for his first public recital.
