Cello in the Time of Bach, Vol. V

In this Vol. V of Cello in the Time of Bach, technically none of the music was originally intended for the cello. Instead, I am exploring some of Bach’s magnificent and timeless unaccompanied violin Sonatas and Partitas, specifically, the Sonata No. 1, BWV 1001 (originally in G Minor), and the Partita No. 3, BWV 1006 (originally in E Major).

Transcribing these violin works for cello is not merely a modern eccentricity. Transcriptions of these works for cello a fifth down from the original violin keys were made during Bach’s time but they were soon forgotten. Parts of these violin works were transcribed by Bach himself - for example the Fuga of the first Sonata appears as BWV 539 for organ with few changes. This same fugue appears as BWV 1000 probably intended for the lute. He expanded the Preludio of the third Partita into two of his cantatas: “Wir danken dir Gott, wir danken dir” BWV 29 and “Herr Gott, Beherrscher aller Dinge,” BWV 120a. He also transcribed the entire third violin Partita for an unspecified polyphonic instrument, generally believed to be the lute. Thus, transcribing for alternate instruments was not a foreign concept to Bach as he practiced this with some frequency himself.

Performing these magnificent violin works on the cello is problematic at times. Even if transcribed down a fifth, which preserves note, fingering and string relationships, the fact is that the cello is much larger and hand positions that are possible on the violin simply are not practical on the cello. Moreover, cello strings are much thicker than the violin and respond less quickly, placing some physical limitations on articulation and tempo. That said, as magnificent as Bach’s Cello Suites are, cellists sometimes look longingly at the unaccompanied violin Sonatas and Partitas which are more technically complex and could be considered by some to be more musically rewarding, at least in some respects. If the Suites are the Mount Everest for cellists, the unaccompanied violin Sonatas and Partitas could be considered to be like flying to the moon for us!

As with prior Volumes, all recording was done during the pandemic at home. For a more seamless experience at a desktop computer, please consider opening this in two browser windows, one for the playlist and another for the program notes below to ease scrolling. Everything should work on a mobile device but there will be a certain amount of scrolling. If a pop-up regarding SoundCloud appears, I would advise choosing “Listen in Browser.” I hope you enjoy Vol. V!

About the Music

J. S. Bach composed his Six Sonatas and Partitas, BWV 1001-1006 for unaccompanied violin in 1720 midway through his 6 year tenure as Capellmeister to Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. Bach, who was a more than capable violinist, composed numerous works for violin, including nine sonatas for violin and harpsichord, several concertos and elaborate obbligato roles in his cantatas and passions, but it is safe to say that the six Sonatas and Partitas represent the pinnacle of his art, arguably unmatched to this day. 

During this same six year tenure at Cöthen, Bach produced an astonishing number of other remarkable non-liturgical instrumental masterworks including his Brandenburg Concertos, Orchestral Suites, and his keyboard French Suites as well as Book I of the Well Tempered Clavier. Notably, he also composed his Six Cello Suites during this period.

The manuscript for his Six Solo Violin Sonatas and Partitas is extant - unfortunately not so for the Cello Suites. The title page of the solo violin works states, in Italian, “Sei Solo - a violino senza Basso accompagnato - Libro Primo da Joh. Seb. Bach ao. 1720.”   Some scholars believe that the Cello Suites were Libro Secondo and it is not clear what, if any, other volumes were planned afterward, possibly for other instruments. The Partita for Unaccompanied Flute comes to mind. 

In thinking about the unaccompanied violin Sonatas and Partitas, one has the sense that Bach was trying to push the boundaries on what could be expected of a solitary violin. Polyphony presented on a 4 stringed instrument is very complex writing that requires a bit of suspending disbelief on the part of the listener. Bach provides the needed basic structure and our minds fill in the rest.

Unlike the Cello Suites, which observed a fairly uniform 6 movement format consisting of a Prelude followed by 5 typical dance movements (Allemande, Courante, Sarabande then a pair of Menuets in Suites 1 & 2, interchanged with Bourrées in Suites 3 & 4, or Gavottes in Suites 5 & 6, then concluding with a Gigue) the formats of the Sonatas and Partitas are more variable.

The unaccompanied violin Sonatas follow the 17th century Sonata de chiesa model (Church Sonata), as opposed to the Sonata de camera (Chamber music, or suite of dances) model. The typical format of the Sonata de chiesa was 4 movements in a slow-fast-slow-fast configuration, the opening movement of which usually was a slow Adagio or Largo, followed by a faster paced fugue. Next came a slow movement, often the emotional center of the work, followed by a fast paced finale. Although the Sonata de chiesa was originally integrated into a church service, they were often not strictly liturgical and therefore increasingly performed as concert pieces. After 1700 composers tended to merge the Sonata de chiesa with the Sonata de camera and by the mid 18th century, the Sonata de chiesa format became increasingly out of date.

The unaccompanied violin Partitas observed a somewhat more typical format consisting of a set of dance movements, but unlike the Cello Suites, which more strictly followed the sequence described above, the violin Partitas varied in number and type of movements.

For this Vol. V set I present the first Sonata (BWV 1001) and the last Partita (BWV 1006). I have chosen to pair these two in part because the transition from the first Sonata to the last Partita is reminiscent of the transition from the Cello Suite No. 5 (BWV 1011) to Suite No. 6 (BWV 1012) in which the dark gravitas of the former gives way to the glorious brightness and lightness of being of the latter. 

The first unaccompanied violin Sonata, BWV 1001 opens with a solemn and deeply expressive Adagio which has an air of desolation but also grandeur. French and Italian styles were very popular in Bach’s time and he incorporated elements of each in his compositions. One characteristic of the French style particularly evident in the Adagio is expressivity, freedom in tempo (rubato) and time, use of ornaments, particularly appoggiaturas which lend a specific character. Bach took the trouble of writing out all of these elements just as he had done in the Allemande of his Cello Suite No. 6. As such, we perhaps get a glimpse into performance practice around ornamentation which was rarely written out in the Baroque era as the customs were well known and understood by performers at the time. That said, one has the impression that Bach wrote out the complex ornamentation and dramtic melodic gestures perhaps because he was intending something different and more complex than the usual practice. The Adagio has the feel of an instantaneously improvised work, and employing some rubato rather than observing strictly metronomic meter helps maintain its sweeping improvisational grace.

In the second movement, a 4 voice fugue, Bach adheres to the fugue form as strictly as a four stringed solo instrument could allow. He cleverly works around physical limitations of the violin to create, from a brief and seemingly insignificant subject, a structure of remarkably huge proportions. It is clear that Bach was successful in greatly expanding the conventional understanding of the violin’s polyphonic capabilities.

The third movement is a gentle Siciliana, a slow dance form in 12/8 time which became popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. Again, the polyphonic nature is technically challenging on a solitary stringed instrument. Despite the major key, there is more than a hint of melancholy to the Siciliana.

The fourth and final movement, Presto, is a veritable perpetual motion machine. Within the constant torrent of 16th notes, Bach makes effective use of cross rhythms, multi-voice dialogues and creates tension between duple and triple phrasing. Moreover, clever slurring of groups of notes in unexpected ways, particularly at the fast pace of this movement, creates additional and intense rhythmic interest. The Presto ends with the same chord that appears at the opening and ending of the Adagio as well as the ending of the Fuga, serving to unify the movements despite their difference in character.

Moving from the dark gravitas of Bach’s first unaccompanied violin Sonata to the brilliance of his third Partita, it’s as if the clouds have parted and light has poured through. The third Partita BWV 1006 opens with one of the most recognizably famous movements by Bach (think ring tones and other popular uses). Like the Presto of the first Sonata, the Preludio of the third Partita is almost like a perpetual motion machine with its torrents of nearly unceasing 16th notes. But unlike the dark Presto, the Preludio and following movements radiate light and optimism. And as with many of Bach’s other Preludes, it has an improvisational feel, but of course in actuality it has a tightly and logically regulated structure.

As a Partita, it is a set of dance movements, but unlike the Cello Suites, the movements vary. It does open with the Prelude, as noted, which is unique among the unaccompanied violin Partitas. And following this come a Loure, Gavotte en Rondeau, a pair of Menuets, a Bourrée and finally a Gigue. 

The second movement, Loure, is a French Baroque dance that is like a slow gigue (which seems like an oxymoron), although in this instance it probably functions more like a sarabande in character. In Loures there is an emphasis on the first beat, set up by the preceding anacrusis, and its dotted rhythms give it a lilting character. Bach composed only one other Loure in his entire output, found in his French Suite No. 5.

The following movement, Gavotte en rondeau is unusual. Like other 18th century Gavottes, it begins mid-measure and has a rustic character. Unlike Bach’s other Gavottes, after a repetition of the main theme, it alternates the theme with other episodic material in a rondo format as its title implies. This wonderful movement was included among the musical samples on the Voyager Golden Record sent into space by NASA and Carl Sagan as an example of “our civilzation’s hope, determination, and good will,” in the words of former President Jimmy Carter.

Next is a pair of contrasting Menuets, which in accordance to performance practice, are played sequentially, then circles back to the first, but without repeats. In Menuet II Bach employs a drone effect which lends a bucolic character to the piece.

The Bourrée is another French dance that is more boisterous in character with its syncopated rhythms. It also features symmetrical repeated phrases alternately in forte then piano as an echo pattern.

The concluding Gigue is bursting with joyous energy in a kind of perpetual motion pattern providing a sense of symmetry with the beginning Preludio.