Reflections on Bach
Bach's Cello Suites survive in only two handwritten copies, one by a student, the other in the notebooks of Bach's wife, Anna Magdalena; however, both people were extremely careless when copying Bach's bowings, and this is part of the reason why so many contradictory bowings exist today. For example, in the Gigue of the Third Suite some editions use a detached bowing for each note, while other cellists prefer a more connected and flowing bow.. The latter lacks the liveliness the first bowing gives the piece, but the sound is more resonant and is more appealing to the audience in a large hall. The polyphonic nature of the pieces is another point worth considering when deciding the bowings, since a wrong bowing might incorrectly interpret a two-part counterpoint passage as a melodic phrase. This is evident in the Prelude of the Third Suite, where alternation of high and low notes appears throughout. Of all the editions I have played, none successfully compromises between the multi-voice texture and technical difficulties. One edition preserved t
Since the lower voice, which provided the harmony for the upper voice, mainly consisted of passages twice as long as the upper voice, the bow needed to go slower on the lower passages and faster on the upper ones, while at the same time the sound quality had to be maintained on both voices. The simplest solution to technical problems is to use a separate bow on each note, which is what one of the other editions I used did, but in doing so the polyphonic contrast has to be sacrificed. Modern cellists prefer to use the D string for the same passage because the sound produced by the A string is much too bright in contrast to the relative tranquility of the piece. With all the discrepancies in physical structure combined, the Baroque cello produced a much more mellow and softer tone than the modern cello. Another drawback of the Baroque instrument was that it could not produce a powerful staccato effect, something that modern cellist often use on the Allemande and the Courante, the latter sounding especially energetic when played with a lively staccato. Perhaps the most controversial element of interpretation is the dynamics, since the modern instrument is greatly different from that which Bach wrote for. Yet, as in the case of the thumb in the Prelude, we know that Bach could not have imagined this effect executed on the instrument he was familiar with. Thus, in the case of the second Bourree in the Third Suite, the Baroque player would not have needed to take into consideration the different tone colors of the strings, since the same warm effect could be produced on the higher A string. The Baroque cello used gut strings and a curved bow, while modern cellists use a straighter descendant of the bow and usually prefer steel or metal strings. he polyphonic nature by using one bow for each voice, but brought inextricable difficulties. The thinner and curved bridge and the addition of the end pin allows the modern player to produce greater vibrations within the instrument than a Baroque cellist. The Baroque bridge was much thicker and flatter than the modern bridge, and in Bach's time the end pin had not been invented, since the instrument was still played in the fashion of the older viola da gamba, held between the knees and supported by the calves. Since Baroque music is all about producing a pure and pleasant sound, a bowing that produces dissonance is useless. Other significant distinctions were in the bridge and the end pin used to support the instrument.
Common topics in this essay:
Third Suite,
Suite Baroque,
Anna Magdalena,
Allemande Courante,
Cello Suites,
Prelude Bach,
third suite,
softer tone,
polyphonic nature,
cellists prefer,
gut strings,
instrument baroque,
metal strings,
modern cellists,
upper voice,
baroque cello,
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