logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2021
50m 41s

Bach Cello Suites

JOSHUA WEILERSTEIN
About this episode

Bach's Cello Suites are now an indispensable part of the cello repertoire, but this wasn't always the case. After Bach's death, they were forgotten. But starting in the 1890s, a cellist named Pablo Casals began playing the Suites, and the rest is history. Bach left very few clues on how to play these suites, and so many cellists interpret the Suites extraordinarily differently. Today we're going to take a look at 6 cellists and talk about how they interpret these enigmatic, sacred, and inspiring pieces.

Up next
Oct 9
Barber Violin Concerto
There are so many great apocryphal stories in the long history of classical music, from the reason Tchaikovsky wrote his Sixth Symphony to what famous composers supposedly said on their deathbeds, to my favorite story: how Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 96, The Miracle, got its name ... Show More
47m 26s
Sep 25
100 Years of Beethoven's Eroica (recordings)
One of my favorite things about having Patreon sponsors is that they often suggest the most fascinating pieces and topics for shows. Adrian, who sponsored a show last year, gave me one of my favorite prompts when he suggested looking at works based on literature. Now he’s sponsor ... Show More
55m 53s
Sep 6
The Life and Music of Grazyna Bacewicz
The great Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski said this after the premature death of his contemporary Grazyna Bacewicz: “She was born with an incredible wealth of musical talent, which she succeeded to bring to full flourish through an almost fanatical zeal and unwavering faith in ... Show More
57m 46s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2015
Bach Cello Suite No 1 in G Major
Johann Sebastian Bach's Cello Suite No I in G major is one of the most frequently performed and recognisable solo compositions ever written for cello. Yet it was virtually unknown for almost 200 years until the Catalan cellist, Pablo Casals discovered an edition in a thrift shop ... Show More
27m 29s
Jun 2009
Bach: Partita No. 1 in B flat: Menuet 2
This is the second of two menuets found in Bach's Partita No. 1 in B-flat major (Opus 1). I've always enjoyed this brief section of the work and it includes some tricky finger work despite the deceitfully simple harmonies. Bach certainly had a way of emphasizing the subtle harmon ... Show More
54s
Feb 2009
Bach: Prelude No. 9 in E Major - Alternate Interpretation
A few days ago I released a recording of Bach's Prelude No 9 in E Major. I also decided to record this alternate interpretation of the prelude. These are two very different ways of playing the same notes of a score and indicate how versatile Bach's music usually is. His music is ... Show More
1m 19s
Jul 2013
Johann Sebastian Bach - Goldberg Variations #5
JS Bach's - Goldberg Variations #5Our version of JS Bach's - Goldberg Variations #5blessings,Shiloh Worship MusicThe Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, is a work for harpsichord by Johann Sebastian Bach, consisting of an aria and a set of 30 variations. First published in 1741, the wo ... Show More
2m 25s
Jun 2024
Bach is back
Synopsis As Leipzig’s chief provider of both sacred and secular music, Johann Sebastian Bach probably gave a huge sigh of relief on today’s date in 1733. The death of Imperial Elector Friedrich Augustus the First of Saxony earlier that year had resulted in a four-month period of ... Show More
2 m
May 2023
Bach arrives (literally)
Synopsis On today's date in 1723, Johann Sebastian Bach began his formal duties as the new Cantor of the St. Thomas School in Leipzig, a city that would remain his home for the next 27 years. A newspaper item datelined Leipzig had appeared the previous day, noting: "This past ... Show More
2 m
Mar 2023
Zwilich's Cello Concerto
Synopsis On today’s date in 2020, a new cello concerto by the American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich was given its premiere in Fort Lauderdale, by cellist Zuill Bailey the South Florida Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sebrina María Alfonso, the same performers who had commissione ... Show More
2 m
Nov 2009
Bach: Goldberg Variations BWV 988 : I
This is the first variation on the Aria from Bach's famous Goldberg Variations. This set of variations on a simple Aria is one of the greatest keyboard works available. Bach demonstrates his unique capability to compose so many different styles of music within the constraints of ... Show More
2m 36s
Mar 2010
Bach's Goldberg Variations
Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.Bach wrote his Goldberg Variations for harpsichord in the 1740s, but today it's performed by pianists all over the world. People describe the place these pieces have in their lives, including a neuroscientist from ... Show More
27m 40s
Aug 2018
Yo-Yo Ma
Watch the 19-time Grammy winner return to his lifelong passion for J.S. Bach, playing music from the Cello Suites and offering advice on the art of incremental learning.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy 
12m 22s