Bourree 1 of cello suite 3 is extremely similar to the bourree of lute suite 1. Siblin has managed to keep his book varied and to strain only. Each movement in the recording has the corresponding movement from the score underneath. Jan 29, 2010 siblin was hardly the first to be swept away by the suites. His first book, the cello suites, explores the multilayered story of an epic composition by. J s bach the six cello suites pablo casals, 1936 39 sshogun872shogun. Prelude 1 from the cello suites is a sister piece to prelude 1 from the well tempered klavier.
The earliest evidence i came across of casals performing a cello suite was in the autumn of 1901. Discover more music, concerts, videos, and pictures with the largest catalogue online at. Bach, pablo casals, and the search for a baroque masterpiece kindle edition by siblin, eric. Jan 04, 2011 winner of the mavis gallant prize for nonfiction and the mcauslan first book prize, the cello suites weaves together three dramatic narratives. That is but a part of the fascinating story told in the cello suites. Eric siblin is the bestselling author of the cello suites, which won the qwf mavis gallant nonfiction prize and the mcauslan first book award, and was a finalist. It tells the life stories of bach and casals in relation to the cello suites, along with the story of the authors discovery of the suites and subsequent research into them. Nov 26, 2017 johann sebastian bachs six solo cello suites are some of the most iconic classical music works. The cello suites by eric siblin goodreads share book. The cello suites include sister pieces of movements in other works, which are too similar as not to stem from the same composer. There is a mystique attached to these performances that overrides any minor defects of reproduction, and students of these works repeatedly turn to this cellist, who essentially rescued the suites from the tedium.
The memoirs of pablo casals, pablo casals as told to thomas dozier, life en espanol, new york 1959. How can music make sense to an ear and brain evolved for detecting the approaching lion or a groundbreaking work of science that confirms, for the first time, the independent existence of. Rediscovered and popularized by pablo casals a century ago, these suites vary greatly in difficulty and style. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cooki. The author closely follows the format of the music, interlacing its history, stories of bach and his descendants, pablo casals finding and repetitively playing the cello suites, and his own journey into the world of bach. Bach, pablo casals, and the search for a baroque masterpiece. This recording can sit proudly on the shelf alongside the great recordings of casals and rostropovich. Bachs cello suites abound in superlative recordings, from casals still potent pioneering set naxos to riveting cycles from boris pergamenschikov hanssler and torleif thedeen bis released on the cusp of the millennium. Johann sebastian bachs six solo cello suites are some of the most iconic classical music works.
They have inspired not only cellists and audiences but other artforms as. One of the most extraordinary, clever, beautiful, and impeccably researched books i have. In his debut, a canadian journalist traces the history of johann sebastian bachs six cello suites from their composition to their rediscovery almost 200 years later. Having heard a performance of bachs cello suites at a concert hall in montreal, he became intrigued and spent several years researching and writing his book. Bach, pablo casals and the search for a baroque masterpiece, by eric siblin. Bach s 6 cello suites for emi between 1936 and 1939 in london and paris, and these legendary recordings have been in print for many decades without break. The six bach cello suites theanna magdalena manuscripts, the lute version autograph of suite no. Eric silbins the cello suites tenderly tracks them through bach s creation, their discovery by pablo casals and to the authors own exploration of the music and himself. Bach s suites for unaccompanied cello have long been among my favorite pieces of music.
The man who arguably put the cello on the musical map in the 20th century, casals was an inspiring musician. Pablo casals discovered bachs suites for solo cello when he was thirteen years old. The idea to write a book about the bach suites, one that is not aimed at classical. He is generally regarded as the preeminent cellist of the first half of the 20th.
I recently read that there are over 80 editions of bachs cello suites in existence with publication dates ranging from 1825 to the present. Eric siblins bach infatuation in the cello suites the. At 270 pages, the cello suites presents a fascinating and dramatic narrative that uncovers the disappearance of bachs original manuscript in the eighteenth century. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Pablo casalss cello gets a new life cellist amit peled is about to go on tour with an instrument played by the legendary pablo casals. Stream adfree with amazon music unlimited on mobile, desktop, and tablet. They have inspired not only cellists and audiences but other artforms as well, and they have been. Bach, pablo casals, and the search for a baroque masterpiece by eric siblin. Eric silbins the cello suites tenderly tracks them through bachs creation, their discovery by pablo casals and to the authors own exploration of the music and himself. He rescued the bach cello suites and his premiere recording for hmv remains a classic.
They are, without a doubt, some of the most emotionally. Bachs suites for unaccompanied cello have long been among my favorite pieces of music. There is also some information about the cotelle edition the edition though. For bachs solo cello suites, it is deplorable that cellists still have no systematic guidebook 2 to performance practice of the kind that violinist jaap schroder has provided for violinists who are interested in delving a little further beneath the surface in bachs sonatas and. Siblin is a onetime poprock critic for the montreal gazette and a fine writer. It was another fifty years before the inquisitive eyes of a thirteenyearold cellist by the name of pablo casals found a battered copy of the suites, thought of then as a collection of humdrum studies for the aspiring cellist, in a secondhand music store in barcelona. The six cello suites, bwv 10071012, are suites for unaccompanied cello by johann sebastian bach. Its not a bad book by any means and im glad i read it. This is a highly readable and entertaining book about bachs cello suites which covers bachs biography, that of the epic cellist pablo casals who. This d major prelude is the longest and grandest of the 6 in fact, everything in this suite is larger in scale compared to the other five suites, rich, full, extended in range and length, just plain big.
However, the earliest copy of the suites dates from 1726, and no autographs survive. In an effort to retain as much of the full frequency range of casals cello as possible, marston leaves a good bit of recording surface. Jan 15, 2010 how bach s cello suites changed eric siblins life. Trills in the bach cello suites by jerome carrington. Pablo casals discovered bach s suites for solo cello when he was thirteen years old. The suites have been transcribed for numerous instruments, including the violin, viola, double bass, viola da gamba, mandolin, piano, marimba, classical guitar, recorder, electric bass, horn, saxophone, bass clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, euphonium, tuba, ukulele, and.
Credits cello pablo casals composed by johann sebastian bach engineer restorations ward marston liner notes. Casals early recording of bach cello suites remain in print to this day. The author closely follows the format of the music, interlacing its history, stories of bach and his descendants, pablo casals finding and repetitively playing the. As casals grew older, he became a conductor, and like so many people devoted to classical music, lived a good long life, well into his 90s. Siblin was hardly the first to be swept away by the suites. This is a great book, especially when you listen, as i have, to the cello suites while reading the manuscript version. There is a mystique attached to these performances that overrides any minor defects of reproduction, and students of these works repeatedly turn to this cellist. Bachs 6 cello suites for emi between 1936 and 1939 in london and paris, and these legendary recordings have been in print for many decades without break. I find that the ear adjusts very quickly, and moreover that the naturalness of tone thus preserved is far. Discover more music, concerts, videos, and pictures with. Bach most likely composed them during the period 171723, when he served as kapellmeister in kothen. Read unlimited books and audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. Siblin weaves casalss life into the book in counterpoint to bachs.
Bach, pablo casals, and the search for a baroque masterpiece 9780802145246. In an effort to retain as much of the full frequency range of casals cello as possible, marston leaves a good bit of recording surface noise. Jarvis proposed that bachs six suites for solo celloof which pablo casals once said, they are the very essence of bach, and bach is the essence of musicare, in fact, the work of. Much depends on individual factors such as quality of sound equipment, the acoustic space involved, hearing sensitivity, and most particularly, on what elements produce a feeling of aural fatigue over time. Pablo casals recorded the complete cello suites by js bach during 193639. Learned a lot, to be sure, about bach, casals and these wonderful notes. Eric siblins bach infatuation in the cello suites the new york. Why do some kinds of music lift us to ecstasy, but not others. Bach cello suites are some of the most frequently performed and recognizable solo compositions ever written for cello.
Bach composed his six suites for unaccompanied cello between 171723, based on six dance movements. My own discovery of the cello suites had taken place one autumn evening in 2000, a bach year marking two and a half centuries since the death of the composer. Cello suites by pablo casals on amazon music unlimited. Bach, pablo casals, and the search for a baroque masterpiece by siblin, eric isbn.
Johann sebastian bach cello suites steven isserlis. Winner of the mavis gallant prize for nonfiction and the mcauslan first book prize, the cello suites weaves together three dramatic narratives. The recordings are here published complete with the edition of the suites published by janet et cotelle paris 1824. Out of all the editions out there of the six suites, ive found this is the most easy to read, and i own about 6 different versions. The bach revival had begun, but the cello suites still languished without recognition. Lots of other editions add in needless information. Pablo casals the man who arguably put the cello on the musical map in the 20th century, casals was an inspiring musician. Bach most likely composed them during the period 171723, when. In between are classic versions by pierre fournier dg.
Its likely bach wrote his cello suites between 171723 when he was serving as kapellmeister in kothen, along with his other famous secular triumphs including the brandenburg concertos and the welltempered clavier. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. They are some of the most frequently performed and recognizable solo compositions ever written for cello. Js bachs cello music entered his life by chance shortly after he had. Although the cello suites first flowed from the composers quill sometime in the early 1700s, it was casals who, two centuries later, made them famous. This is the greatest performance of the bach suites casals found a torn copy of the suites. An avowed opponent of francos regime, casals established a festival in prades on the frenchspanish border.
Bach s cello suites, as presented by pablo casals on this album, is an excellent example of an outstanding musical performance. Deceptive cadence i would call him the grandfather of classical music of the 20th century, says cellist. A portrait of pablo casals, bernard taper, mcgrawhill, new york 1962. His father had come to barcelona to pay him a visit, and brought him his first fullsized cello. The meter is 128 compound quadruple and the motion is one of continuous eighth notes, although one.