Bach Cello Suites

by Steven Isserlis

Bach's 6 Suites for solo cello are among the most cherished of all the works in the classical music literature. Shrouded in mystery - they were largely unknown for some two hundred years after their composition - they have acquired a magical aura which continues to attract and fascinate audiences the world over. To cellists they represent a musical bible, to listeners, scarcely less. Through what are on the surface simple Dance Suites, Bach takes us on a spiritual journey like no other, leading us from joy to tragedy, concluding in jubilation, even triumph.

Award-winning international cellist Steven Isserlis, whose recent recording of the Suites met with the highest critical acclaim, goes deep into that emotional journey, bringing to bear all his many years' experience of performing the Suites. His book is intended as a rewarding companion for all music lovers, ranging from the casual listener to the performing musician. By offering his own very personal observations of the music, Isserlis's aim is to take the reader further into the world of the Suites in order to enhance the experience of hearing some of the greatest works ever composed.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2021

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steven Isserlis is behalve een getalenteerd cellist ook een bevlogen ambassadeur voor klassieke muziek. Dat leerde ik al uit zijn hedendaagse lezing van Robert Schumann's Advice to Young Musicians: Revisited by Steven Isserlis. De overtuigingskracht van Isserlis ligt enerzijds in zijn eigen doorleefde ervaring als muzikant en docent en anderzijds in zijn met Britse tongue-in-cheek-humor doorspekte schrijfstijl. Het werkt uiterst enthousiasmerend.

Mijn liefde voor de Cellosuites van Bach is al oud. Ik kocht er door de jaren heen verschillende uitvoeringen van en ergens eind jaren '90 zag ik ze voor het eerst live uitgevoerd in DeSingel door Pieter Wispelwey, nadat hij er zelf een voorbespreking bij had gegeven in de foyer, mét zijn cello bij de hand. Onvergetelijk. De suites blijven me beroeren; ik beluister ze vrij regelmatig en de voorbije dagen ben ik er dankzij Steven Isserlis nog vertrouwder mee geworden.

Er viel trouwens nog veel nieuws te leren. Zo wist ik niet dat de originele partituur verloren is gegaan, zodat cellisten het moeten doen met vier kopieën die elkaar niet zelden tegenspreken en waardoor lang niet alle tegenstrijdigheden en mysteries logisch opgelost kunnen worden voor de uitvoeringspraktijk. M.a.w. er moeten altijd keuzes gemaakt worden. Daarmee werd het mij alvast wat duidelijker waarom bovengenoemde Pieter Wispelwey er, gespreid over vele jaren, intussen al 3 opnames van heeft gemaakt.

Steven Isserlis geeft, zoals gezegd bevlogen en lichtvoetig, o.a. duiding bij de traditie en de dansen waarop de verschillende delen van elke suite gebaseerd zijn en over de uitvoeringspraktijk - iets wat enorm boeiend om lezen is. Hij wijdt ook een flink hoofdstuk aan een theorie die de cellosuites linkt aan de bekende hoogtepunten uit de protestantse kalender ten tijde van Bach en aan het leven van Christus. Aanvankelijk vond ik dat allemaal nogal vergezocht, maar als hij in het laatste hoofdstuk de suites deel per deel becommentarieert en daar verwijst naar verwante passages in aria's, recitatieven, koorfragmenten of andere overeenkomsten met Bach's cantates en passies (waar ik ook vrij vertrouwd mee ben) zorgde dat toch voor verrassende eye-openers.

Met dat laatste hoofdstuk als 'companion', zoals de ondertitel van dit boek zegt, beluisterde ik elke cellosuite met hernieuwde oren en dankzij de track & time aanduidingen van Steven Isserlis' eigen bekroonde opname uit 2007, kon ik er zowel kleine details als dieperliggende motieven in ontdekken. Een verfrissende, spannende én troostende ervaring, precies zoals Bach's muziek dat altijd is geweest voor mij. Nog steeds trouwens. Dat het hier en daar een beetje té muziektechnisch wordt, vergeef je hem. Geoefende en gemotiveerde cellisten (en andere muzikanten) kunnen daar immers wél hun voordeel mee doen als ze zich in deze meesterwerken willen verdiepen. Kudos, Steven Isserlis!

[Jill Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been known to say "I thought Bach's Cello Suites were beyond my comprehension until my grandson started playing them."(My son then taught me a great new phrase by saying "Mum that's a humble brag".) Now Steven Isserlis has gifted me more enjoyable musical education. As one of the world's greatest cellists, who better to take one on a deep dive into these beloved and venerated works?
The structure of the book is perfect: beginning with Bach himself, then the complicated, incomplete and somewhat controversial stories of the Suite's genesis, then discussion of the dances for which most of the movements are named, then some tentative theory of background meanings, and finally detailed analysis of each movement of each Suite. Along the way there are jokes (a bit childish) and anecdotes (delightful). All, except for the final analyses, are easily read and understood. Unless you have at least a basic knowledge of music notation, you may find the last section too much of a challenge, but the rest of the book can satisfy without it and earn its 5 stars easily.

[Martin von Haller Groenbaek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I live by the music of Bach, in particular the solo works for keyboard and the cello suites. Isserlis' companion to the cello suites is my first attempt to understand the suites more musically. So far, I have merely enjoyed the suites with thinking about their composition and structure. I have heard Isserlis play excerpts of the suites at Hindsgavl Festival in Denmark on a number of occasions. In this book, he does a really good job of explaining from his personal perspective why he plays the suites so masterfully.

[BYU Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isserlis offers a robust and far-reaching account of Bach's Cello Suites that begins with historical questions and ends with discussions of each movement in turn. While sufficiently technical to intrigue the die-hard fans (while the rest of us scsratch our heads), it provides something beautiful that even the uninitiated can enjoy: a look at a great masterpiece through the eyes of a passionate performer and thinker.

[Hrishi Somayaji · Rating 5 out of 5]

Model for how to write accessibly about abstract music without taking Pitchfork-like tangents and liberties. Isserlis’ joy for this music, skill in turning a phrase and self-effacing wit makes this a real pleasure to read. His theory about the suites representing the journey of Christ from birth to death to resurrection and ascension is pretty well-reasoned

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that increased my knowledge and appreciation for Bach a hundredfold. Strongly recommend listening to the six suites (you’ll immediately recognize the prelude to the first suite) as you read their story.

[Tatis Mosqueda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is lovely. I recommend to listen to Bach Suites he's describing.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wonderful book was offered to me by a young cellist. I am unfortunately not a musician but she knows my love for classical music and has played some of the solo suites for me; this book has enhanced my ability to experience this wonderful music.

Bach's Cello Suites are written in a variety of keys and encompass a wide range of tempos, rhythms, and bowing techniques, which are a challenge for cellists. The Suites are technically demanding and have served as a benchmark for cellists to showcase their technical prowess.

Bach's Cello Suites consist of multiple movements, including preludes, allemandes, courantes, sarabandes, minuets, gigues, and other dance forms which were popular in the Baroque period.
The Suites have had a profound influence on the development of solo cello music. Many composers, including Beethoven, Brahms, and Britten, have drawn inspiration from these suites when composing their own works for solo cello.

Interpretations of the Bach Cello Suites can vary significantly among different cellists, Isserlis's interpretations are not strictly adherent to historical performance practices, he does incorporate elements of Baroque style, such as ornamentation and articulation, into his playing. Isserlis is known for his technical prowess, particularly in handling the intricate bowing and fingering demands of Bach's compositions. The use of bowing techniques, articulation, and phrasing are described and receive detailed explanations in his book.

Isserlis writing style is a delight and for those who wish to see him playing the Suites in concert there are some excellent YouTube videos made available by 92NY. That is when you can really appreciate the sum of the parts of his musical expertise, the technical brilliance, the coming together between the intellectual and emotional components of music making. I have learned a lot in a fun way and found real enjoyment with the Suites.

[Morgana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit of a whirlwind- this short book manages to tackle the history of Bach, and the Bach cello suites, and theorize about religious undertones, and provide a cellist's Q+A, and examine each movement separately... Am I missing anything? It's all done very manageably: hits the high points, doesn't delve too deep, always careful to not be too conclusive about historical inconsistencies. Isserlis, obviously a seasoned (and somewhat eccentric) musician-type, is knowledgeable but doesn't stray too far into pretentiousness, keeping a humorous tone. It's nice to get a cellist's true POV. I can't help but think that, try as he might to make this book workable for a wide audience, it'll still only be meaningful to a small subset: those who enjoy the Suites, know enough about classical music to care, have at least a minimal grasp of the theory and history, not know TOO much about it so as to be bored by the dumbing-down of some sections, be tolerant enough of the inevitable fanboying over Bach... (not saying Bach is not worth fanboying over). Personally, as an (amateur) cellist forced to agonize over these pieces for years and who now hopes to regain some enjoyment of them, I can confidently say it is worth a read if you'd like to explore these works, albeit in a mishmash sort of way.

[Iris_cello · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy to read companion to the music. Definitely not too in depth that you need to be a cellist or have played the pieces to read it, however because I am a cellist and have played the pieces, it definitely enhanced my reading. There were a lot of interesting ideas in there, and I really enjoy the writing style of Isserlis - it is very chatty and informal however serious at the same time which I like.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful and deeply knowledgeable writing, eminently accessible to general audiences, but also as a professional cellist who has been playing and studying these Suites for 25 years, I learned a lot. It's amazing how much is packed in this little volume. Great to read through, great to keep on my shelf to reference.

[Xiu Lim · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I read the section of the book with Isserlis's commentary on each movement of the suites, I listened along to some recordings of those pieces. From what I've sampled, here are some really good recordings:

1. Marc Coppey (full 6 suites) - https://youtu.be/4l5Ef8hMXEg
2. Yo-Yo Ma (full 6 suites) - https://youtu.be/Nu9MDqGhIak
3. Jean-Guihen Queyras (suite 3) - https://youtu.be/WWQ9i_MlG-0

[Alessandro Rosborough · Rating 5 out of 5]

I now have a trinity of favorite Bach Books. This will sit quite happily on my shelf next to Music in the Castle of Heaven and Trills in the Bach Cello Suites. Thank you Mr. Isserlis for a wonderfully delightful little book.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never knew music history and theory could be so thoroughly entertaining

[Peter Barritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and thoughtful book about the Bach Cello Suites from the famous cellist. Easy to read, written for a general audience, he has an amusing turn of phrase and a deep love of Bach's music.

[Julie Oldfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky style but a wonderful review of the cello suites

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, informative, funny and also extremely inspiring for my personal interpretation of the suites. A must read

[wangshux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written from a scholar/performer pov

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written by Steven Isserlis, a renowed cellist and professor who teaches at Julliard. His understanding of bach has been beautifully shaped into this story as he explores the historical origins of Bach and his lifestyle and things that Bach loves to do. In his book, he quoted that "Bach profoundly uses a varity of such emotions like Joy, Sorrows and conveys a sense of hope in his music". Highly reccomanded to cellist who are seeking to understand Bach'c cello suites in deep manners and those who appreciate composers.