One of the most famous composers of the Baroque era is Johann Sebastian Bach. He is well-known for his revolutionary compositions.
Works like the Brandenburg Concertos, the The Well-Tempered Clavier and a loads of cantatas are still very popular in the 21st century.
I wonder if any of our Pop-stars will be appreciated the same way in 400 years from now!
The Cello Suites: Inspired By Bach - Yo-Yo Ma
In my opinion, the Six suites for unaccompanied cello are one of the most interesting chamber compositions of Bach. I personally like them a lot, since the cello has such a warm sound.
I as well enjoyed the rich tone that Yo-Yo Ma creates, although I don't know extremely much about chello playing techniques, I think he does that really well. The arpeggiated patterns sound at least perfect!
The album was released in 1997, quite some time back.
Track list
Suite No. 1 in G Major -- BWV 1007
(Prelude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Menuett, Gigue)
Suite No. 2 in D Minor -- BWV 1008
(Prelude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Menuett, Gigue)
Suite No. 3 in C Major -- BWV 1009
(Prelude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Bourrée, Gigue)
Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major -- BWV 1010
(Prelude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Bourrée, Gigue)
Suite No. 5 in C Minor -- BWV 1011
(Prelude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gavotte, Gigue)
Suite No. 6 in D Major -- BWV 1012
(Prelude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gavotte, Gigue)
Structure of the suites
Basically, all have 6 movements:
Prelude: most literal it means introduction, a brief yet improvisatory piece of music
Allemande: In French it means "German", must-have of a suite, a serious dance
Courante: literally means running, it's a passionate piece with a clear melody
Sarabande: A dance in triple metre, originally a slow, stately Spanish dance
Galanteries: movements that initiate a change of style, after that follow mostly non-familiar pieces;
(Bach used Minuets, Bourrées and Gavottes in his chello suites)
Gigue: Final dance of a suite. It seems a bit lively since it often has accents on the third beats in the bar.
To me it was important to listen to the full work to inhale the complete flair of the baroque style. Usually I just listen to a prelude and the melody gets stuck in my head.
As I know from practicing baroque pieces, it's maybe even better to be considerate and keep an overview. Although, it's really lovely to get lost in music!
Luckily I convinced myself to listen to the other suites. I must admit - I actually only ever heard the first one.
I'm sure you all know the prelude of the first suite very well. It's used for many TV ads!
The 1st prelude is a reminder of the Prelude in C major of the Well-Tempered Clavier. That is the technique characterizes Bach! To tell the truth, I never expected the other suites to be that interesting.
The highlight of the 2nd suite is maybe the Sarabande, it's deep. In contrast, the following suite seems to be really sunny. The 4th suite sounds pretty complex in general. The 5th seems to rely on feelings.
Last but not least - the 6th suite to be so dramatic and ambitious. The final Gigue is a duo for a solo instrument. Incredible!
I can imagine it must takes months to be able to play any of these suites, stunning! Truly it is admirable, with what kind of ambition and feeling people play their instrument and create such wonderful sounds.
It may sounds funny, but it's worth taking time, sitting down and just listen closely.