The Cello Suites are written in an efficient, contrapuntal manner, with each suite increasing in complexity from the simplest Suite 1 to the most intricate and challenging Suite 6.
Composition History
J. S. Bach composed the six Cello Suites while working as Kapellmeister in Cöthen, Germany, between 1717 and 1725.
Compositional Technique
Bach used scordatura, or altered tunings, for some suites; Suite 5 uses g-d-G-C, and Suite 6 requires a five-string cello tuned e'-a-d-G-C.
Performer Biography
William Skeen, the cellist on this recording, has served as Principal Cellist with several prominent early music ensembles, including Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and American Bach Soloists.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at Skywalker Sound in August 2020 and was the first project to return to the studio after COVID-19 shutdowns.
Instruments
For Suites 1 through 5, William Skeen plays a cello labeled 'Giovanni Grancino, Milan. 1725,' which previously belonged to his mentor Elisabeth LeGuin.
Instruments
For Suite 6, William Skeen uses an anonymous Italian five-string violoncello piccolo from the 1680s, which once belonged to Austrian-American author and activist Robert Treuer.
You might also enjoy...
Bach: Cello Suites [2011 - Remaster]
Bach: The Six Unaccompanied Cello Suites, BWV 1007-1012
