J. S. Bach on Nine Strings. Suite, Partita and Sonata for Two Piccolo Cellos

Featuring

Mario Brunello
Mauro Valli
Johann Sebastian Bach

Did you know?

1/7

Instruments

Mario Brunello plays a four-string violoncello piccolo made in 2017 after a 17th-century design, while Mauro Valli plays a five-string violoncello piccolo made in 1993.

Performer Biography

Mario Brunello, a cellist on this recording, won the Tchaikovsky Prize in Moscow in 1986, becoming the first Italian to receive this recognition.

Recording & Production

The recording took place in the Teatro Mariani in Sant'Agata Feltria, Italy, the oldest Italian theatre built entirely of wood, which will be proposed for UNESCO World Heritage status in 2026.

Composition History

Some pieces on this recording were transcribed by Bach himself, such as the first movement of Sonata No. 3 for solo violin, which also exists as a keyboard Adagio.

Historical Context

The modern 'historical performance practice' movement, which reconsiders Bach's notation using original instruments, largely originated in the 1950s.

Compositional Technique

Bach's 'unaccompanied' violin and cello compositions force polyphony onto a melodic instrument, often including the bass line within the solo part.

Interpretation

This recording uses two violoncelli piccoli, a four-string and a five-string, to allow for the full counterpoint and sustained harmonies of Bach's music to be heard.