I love the cello. I love listening to cello. I love playing cello. I love watching cellists play the cello.
Every cellist has played all or part of the “six suites for unaccompanied cello” by Johann Sebastian Bach (some contend the pieces were actually written by his second wife, Anna Magdalena). They are some of the most famous pieces written for solo cello. They weren’t widely known until a 13 year old Pablo Casals found a copy of them in a thrift shop in Spain in 1889 and began studying them. He was the first to record all six suites from 1936 to 1939.
Since then every cellist who has gained any kind of notoriety has recorded them. And every cello student has played them. Even I have mastered the first three bars of Bourree 1 (from Suite No 3).
Here are two of my all time favourite cellists playing the same piece, Suite No. 3 in C major. If you have time, interest and the inclination, listen to both and note the difference in interpretation. (Unfortunately there isn’t a copy on the internet of Yo-yo Ma’s recording which won him a Grammy in 1985.)
I hope you enjoy these. 😉 Let me know what you think!!!!!!
Yo-yo Ma
(playing for Mr Rodgers and his Neighbourhood)
Jan 16, 2015 @ 23:36:38
Some people are musicians and some people make love with their music. This was making love.
Jan 17, 2015 @ 07:28:01
Indeed! I love to watch the faces of musicians when they play something that touches their soul. 🙂 Thanks for listening!
Jan 17, 2015 @ 17:37:16
Will do that!
Jan 18, 2015 @ 04:50:24
I love good writing. I love reading your writing. I love reading your writing. Oh, and thank you for sharing these pieces. It was interesting to read the comments on YouTube – on both sides of the fence. A couple said that Mr. Ma’s version lacked passion and voice (my words). I don’t agree, but I have some rudimentary ideas about how to two differ. After listening to each, I launched them together…that was fun.
Jan 18, 2015 @ 13:24:07
🙂 Thank you. You know the feeling is mutual; I love reading your writing.
I have listened to every available recording of Bach’s Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello and Yo-yo Ma’s is my favourite. I had the privilege of seeing him perform all six pieces in concert. (This fact may have caused my bias.) There is no lack of passion there! I just love how music is so subjective. I used to disdain covers, thinking that no one could perform a song like the original or the author. (Naive and pompous!) I don’t always like covers (and sometimes like them more than the original), but it is exciting to see how others interpret musical numbers.
Now I am going to go play these two performances on top of one another. (Why did I not think of that?) 🙂
Jan 18, 2015 @ 13:48:24
Is it safe to assume that you can play it? Or is it on your bucket list?
Jan 18, 2015 @ 14:00:10
The tune is quite easy and infectious; I play it, but more Andante and less Vivace. (Walking tempo vs quite lively)
Jan 18, 2015 @ 13:42:34
Ha ha! THAT was interesting. Ma plays it the traditional way. The bourrée was a very lively dance. It is supposed to be quite rapid. Maisky takes his time and is much more reflective. I had to keep pausing Yo-yo Ma, waiting for Maisky to catch up. (I am afraid I play it more like Maisky.)