About

A TAV Essential Listening Album.

"The six Cello Suites, BWV 1007 to 1012, are suites for unaccompanied cello by Johann Sebastian Bach. They are some of the most frequently performed and recognizable solo compositions ever written for cello. Bach most likely composed them during the period 1717–23, when he served as a Kapellmeister in Köthen.

 These suites for unaccompanied cello are remarkable in that they achieve the effect of implied three- to four-voice contrapuntal and polyphonic music in a single musical line.As usual in a Baroque musical suite, each movement is based around a baroque dance type; the cello suites are structured in six movements each: prelude, allemande, courante, sarabande, two minuets or two bourrées or two gavottes, and a final gigue. The Bach cello suites are considered to be among the most profound of all classical music works. Wilfrid Mellers described them in 1980 as "Monophonic music wherein a man has created a dance of God."

Due to the works' technical demands, étude-like nature, and difficulty in interpretation because of the non-annotated nature of the surviving copies, the cello suites were little known and rarely publicly performed until they were revived and recorded by Pablo Casals in the early 20th century. They have since been performed and recorded by many renowned cellists, have also been transcribed for numerous other instruments, and are considered some of Bach's greatest musical achievements.

Yo-Yo Ma won the 1985 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance for his album Six Unaccompanied Cello Suites." - Wiki

 “The cellist’s grand interpretation at Prom 68 would have left the composer astonished and incredulous.”– The Guardian

Tracklisting:

LP1
1. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007; Prélude
2. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007; Allemande
3. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007; Courante
4. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007; Sarabande
5. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007; Menuett
6. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007; Gigue
7. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008; Prélude
8. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008; Allemande
9. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008; Courante
10. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008; Sarabande
11. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008; Menuett
12. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008; Gigue

LP2
1. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009; Prélude
2. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009; Allemande
3. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009; Courante
4. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009; Sarabande
5. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009; Bourrée
6. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009; Gigue
7. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010; Prélude
8. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010; Allemande
9. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010; Courante
10. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010; Sarabande
11. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010; Bourrée
12. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010; Gigue

LP3
1. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011; Prélude
2. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011; Allemande
3. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011; Courante
4. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011; Sarabande
5. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011; Gavotte
6. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011; Gigue
7. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012; Prélude
8. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012; Allemande
9. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012; Courante
10. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012; Sarabande
11. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012; Gavotte
12. Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012; Gigue

Item description: