Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G major BWV 1007, Prelude. Phoebe Carrai, baroque cello, Voices of Music

The Prelude from the cello suite in G Major, performed on an original baroque cello by Phoebe Carrai.
Bach, in his cello suites, creates the perfect blend of five musical senses: individual expression, technique, counterpoint, rhythm and harmony; this music has been endlessly adapted and arranged, and every cellist studies these compositions at different points in their lives.
Much has been written about the suites, yet little is known. It seems likely that the music was composed by Bach in his usual grouping of a set of six around the year 1720, when Bach was Kapellmeister at Köthen. The date is really just a guess, based partly on the style of the music as well as the fact that we do have a date-1720-for the autograph copy of the violin sonatas. We are fortunate indeed to have the copy of the music written down by Bach’s wife, Anna Magdalena, as well as an autograph version of one of the suites in an arrangement for lute in Bach’s own handwriting.
According to legend, the suites were unknown until the cellist Pablo Casals discovered them in a thrift store in Barcelona at the age of thirteen; the legend does not explain how the music could be completely unknown even if it was readily available in several printed editions. As is the case with the Brandenburg concertos, highly embellished histories of many of Bach’s works appear in the 1930s coinciding with the marketing of recordings and concert tours; invariably, these stories take the form of a “rescue,” in which masterpieces are first overlooked and then saved from perpetual obscurity owing to an improbable series of events. Such stories have made good liner notes for decades: a more balanced view is that many of Bach’s works were continuously performed and studied after the composer’s death; for example, the Well Tempered Clavier influenced generations of composers.
The performance history and transmission of manuscripts for the cello suites begins with one of Bach’s favorite students, the composer and organist Johann Christian Kittel; Kittel was devoted to Bach’s musical style and shared Bach’s works with his own students, including the virtuoso cellist and composer Johann Friedrich Dotzauer. The other major historical figure is one Johann Peter Kellner, who copied many of Bach’s works in the late 1720s. Anna Magdalena and Kellner provide the two contemporaneous sources for the suites that survive to the present day. Kittel’s student, Dotzauer, may have been working from one of these copies or a later copy when he began the study of the works, and by 1826 demand for the music of Bach as well as for works for the cello in general had grown to the point where the suites were published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1826. Even though Dotzauer could trace his musical style directly back to Bach, by the 1820s-one hundred years after Bach composed the suites-performers were more interested in adapting the music to the style and taste of the time as opposed to recreating a performance from the time of Bach, and Dotzauer’s influential version had the effect of obscuring the two primary sources of the music until the 1960s.
Tracing the “thrift store” copy, we see that Dotzauer’s version was most likely passed down to his student, Karl Dreschler, and thence to Dreschler’s student, Friedrich Wilhelm Grützmacher who “edited” the copy found by Casals, bringing the suites into the 20th century complete with a turgid layer of markings, additional chords, and ornamentation reminiscent of the silent movie era. In addition to being an outstanding cellist, Grützmacher arranged and re-arranged a number of important historical works including Boccherini’s Cello Concerto in B flat Major: Grützmacher’s work fits the pattern in which composers throughout the 19th century adapted the works of Bach, Handel, Boccherini and many others for contemporaneous audiences, often adding their own musical material.
The Bach cello suites became a permanent part of the Early Music revival in the 1960s when the Musical Heritage Society contracted Nikolaus Harnoncourt to record the set. A decade after Harnoncourt, players began to perform the suites using historical techniques in earnest, with notable recordings by Anner Bylsma and Sigiswald Kuijken.
Voices of Music will film all six suites using our innovative 4K, ultra-high definition video process. The videos will be part of our digital library and will be free for anyone to view, anywhere in the world.
#Bach #CelloSuites

[@ethanschobernd3028]

Such a dark tone and magnificent phrasing. This is definitely one of my favorite versions of the prelude. 🎶😌

[@VoicesofMusic]

Thank you!

[@UniversalYakov]

You're the best, Ethan.

[@suecarrai5351]

Absolutely beautiful. Not that I am biased…..proud of my sister and love listening to her perform Bach.❤️

[@tonyschram1260]

Your sister is an amazing musician, your blessed to have her👍

[@patriciayaksic5214]

I love the cello so much that I keep one in my garage. I never learned to Play it perfectly, but enjoy the sound of those who do.

[@queenlia7063]

Imagine what it was like for the first person/people who heard the bach cello suites performed publicly, they must of died from the sheer beauty. Under-appreciated music. 10/10.

[@emilioovalle3070]

Omg, this is such a gorgeous interpretation of the piece. It really just feels at home on a baroque cello

[@emilyplayscello]

No one plays Bach like Phoebe!!

[@RhondaBranneky]

I had one cello lesson with Phoebe, she taught me to keep fingerings simple, no higher positions in baroque music. I then brought her to my dentist in Amsterdam as she needed one badly 😅!

[@Trollpapa-s8e]

perfect, beautiful! 🌹🌹❤❤ Let's not forget those who ensured the high quality of the recording. A million thanks to them too

[@VoicesofMusic]

Thank you very much!

[@jesussanz101]

Oh ! A shortcut hook to heaven. Tks for sharing.

[@VoicesofMusic]

Enjoy!

[@danabnormal5988]

I can always listen to anything by J.S Bach. A very nuanced performance!

[@McQ14]

Beautifully played. This is a piece that normally makes you long for that release, and Phoebe manages to make me long for it even more with her interpretation. My gosh, this is practically spiritual!

[@tjgainey3922]

Perfectly said, her phrasing is even more emotional and it makes you feel the tension. This is absolute perfection.

[@karenarnett5167]

This left me practically breathless. I heard it as if for the first time. The recording quality is so exceptionally clear, and the performance so profoundly fresh and expressive, and the instrument’s tone so rich.

[@taylornielsen5805]

What an incredibly fresh and authentic performance. The piece is often mechanical but THIS is what it deserves.

[@TheGodParticles]

Love the voice of this cello. Wonderful phrasing and expression. Just nice.

[@gasparocelloman9852]

Everything about this is mighty fine indeed…a class act of the highest order. Phoebe’s playing is the reason I took to b’que cello decades ago. She’s one of the finest teachers I’ve ever had the privilege of studying with. I hope we’ll be seeing/hearing much more of her…🙏🏽

[@donnap5906]

As a beginner, I've been listening to a lot of cello music, to keep me inspired, but this recording touched me like few have. Unhurried, with such depth and gorgeous phrasing! Thank you!

[@VoicesofMusic]

Our pleasure!

[@noniefuss]

Absolutely beautiful! This has always been one of my favorite Bach pieces and Phoebe plays it wonderfully! Thank you so much for such a treat today!

[@ExcelStrategy]

This cello has such a beautiful voice ! So Profound, rich, articulated and full of life

[@VoicesofMusic]

:)

[@moiseshernandez1553]

This is undoubtedly my favorite version!

[@tonyschram1260]

Ms.Carrai your playing is amazing, thanks for sharing it! All the best 👍😀

[@tumblebugspace]

This just reached right out and grabbed me. Very moving performance of one of my favorites. Thanks, Voices of Music! ❤️

[@VoicesofMusic]

:)

[@Esperluet]

Prise de son exceptionnelle, bravo. Interprétation de même niveau.

[@128titanic]

This is Beautiful Video. Thank for Voice of Music.

[@chimeraaretina1450]

Quelle belle maitrise. La sonorité est fabuleuse Merci du partage.

[@CrazyArcher2160]

Thank you so much for a magnificent interpretation of the most "overplayed" cello piece 😊

[@VoicesofMusic]

You're very welcome!

[@danielperroni3884]

Que interpretação maravilhosa, que nos remete ao autêntico som produzido e ouvido na época... Amazing..!

[@vivian3829]

Maravilloso encantador y fascinante interpretación👏👏👌👌

[@nexussix7933]

You’ve done it again. My god the beautiful music that comes from this channel is heavenly.

[@VoicesofMusic]

Enjoy!

[@corner559]

One of the best performances of this piece I've ever heard.

[@MarzipanCat.]

Of all the renditions here on youtube, this one is by far my favorite. It's been 3 weeks now since this came out and I can't stop listening to it. I love the soft, dark undertone; all the other versions seem incredibly hurried to me now. It is as if she was taking me on a journey through a troubled heart and I was floating on her sound, pushed from here to there as her bow changes, and every single painful feeling is given its due as she gives the notes the time they need.

[@Trollpapa-s8e]

Every word is true. Let's not forget those who ensured the high quality of the recording. A million thanks to them too

[@mrbigarms]

I don't think I've ever heard it played so well, beautiful!

[@breenaxie4672]

This is deep to my soul, the tone of music and color setting of the space and the musician dressing, absolutely exquisite.

[@shoshannafachima1306]

exquisitely performed,beautiful phrasing and dynamics brava bravissima🎵❤️🎶

[@mattglascock7178]

You're magical. Thank you.

[@andreamundt]

This instrument has a remarkable and very touching voice. Beautiful playing, excellent! Thx for another top notch video! = )

[@VoicesofMusic]

Our pleasure!

[@jeancolapierrearmande3326]

Magnificent! No more words needed…..

[@bobtemp1567]

This interpretation of the first prelude is quite beautiful. Such grace. Absolutely breathtaking.

[@stellarosebelladonna6872]

This is beautiful, she plays so well 😊

[@sandyshoremann7524]

Bravo! Bellissimo. E così giusto!

[@annettegreen6689]

Well that was a beautiful start to my day, thank you! 😊

[@VoicesofMusic]

You are so welcome!

[@scasny]

Older women playing on beat up instrument in worn-out building producing such heart moving, reveled beauty. Make me shed a tear.

[@tonyschram1260]

An experienced and skilled musician playing on a beautiful vintage instrument in a rustic setting produced one of the most amazing renditions of this classic piece, made me shed a tear too.

[@joelvog82]

help!!!, my emotions.... ahhhhhhhh absolutly beautifull

[@pablomontoya8303]

I have heard it probably millions of times and I always say "Ugh, again?" but every single time I can't bear to turn it off after maybe 2 bars.

[@sergiogrima8331]

Mesmerizing. Thank you.

[@esp19691]

what a wonderful sound! Brava!

[@VoicesofMusic]

Many thanks!

[@marlycrespo3877]

Obrigada, por existir musicistas para elevar nossas almas em um vôo de esperança!!! Magníficooooo!!! Copacabana RJ Brasil

[@papettipapetti3550]

Awesome!! It definitely takes years of playing these suites for them to be perfect 👍, you can hear it.

[@MrFalckenhagen]

Very impressiv version. Thank you❤

[@넴이플]

It's been a long time! The cello is always great. Bach's compositions are captivating

[@amandazeller674]

Beautifully Majestic! With Deep Gratitude! ! ! ♥️🌹♥️ Blessed Be! ! ! ❤️🙏❤️

[@meghannachtiean3830]

Absolutely beautiful and perfect

[@Allataria]

Incredible. No histrionics, just love for the music. Thank you so much for this.

[@VoicesofMusic]

Our pleasure!

[@lindseytillery5626]

Wow! Impresionante tan hermosos tonos oscuros

[@nathanielwatson7859]

Love, love, love!

[@spmoran4703]

Great beauty. And such a soulful performance .

[@fredericchopin1033]

Beautiful...!!!

[@fabian.astudillo]

Maravilloso!!!!!! Saludos desde Chile 🇨🇱 ❤️ gracias por compartir tan bella música 😭

[@VoicesofMusic]

Greetings from California!

[@comparticello]

Absolute gorgeous phrasing, brava!

[@noemiserra3366]

Pell de gallina! Li tinc tants records que no puc contenir l'emoció.

[@IxK-ku3ul]

Totalmente MARAVILLOSO

[@VoicesofMusic]

:)

[@bpw3465]

Brava Maestra. espiritus

[@CL-tk7nl]

Well done! Love it.

[@miaozi5606]

こんな自然な演奏聴いたことない。地の底からふつふつと湧き出る水の流れのようだ。

[@VoicesofMusic]

どうもありがとうございます

[@GennyFC]

My heart listened and took a deep breath. Thank you so much. You have been missed.

[@testbenchdude]

BRAVO! Such a beautiful piece, so expertly performed. Thank you.

[@manoloyloles]

The sound of that cello, for God's sake... Splendidly obscure and touching! Dark metal cello 🙂 And BRAVA to the cellist!

[@KravchenkoAudioPerth]

Way to go Phoebe! I have many versions of this. You are right up there with the best! Mark

[@ashleyviaene56]

Thank you , this was a great performance . Made me cry 👌

[@fabriciobendeck1774]

Same

[@elgatosucio]

Just pristine.

[@PalestraparaProfessores]

What a pleasure!

[@monikka..]

❤❤Gracias.

[@maryhimmer2515]

Beautifully played.

[@VoicesofMusic]

Many thanks!

[@ok-hd4so]

Oh man thats a sweet sounding cello, excellent playing.

[@HS-oj2uk]

Beautiful

[@lenanielsen5903]

Absolutely wonderful played amazingly beautiful sound love it🍃thank you

[@VoicesofMusic]

:)

[@Mason_Earle]

Yeah Phoebe!!

[@Fjchebfkgignesvxndk]

너무 멋져요~👍

[@monikka..]

Maravillosa

[@thewomandirector]

Wonderful!

[@picksalot1]

Exquisite! What a beautiful tone and performance. Thanks

[@hassaanahmed23]

The beauty of Bach is well-executed madame!

[@128titanic]

And Always for your video, Congratulations! 🎶🎻.

[@angelbonne1598]

Hacia tiempo que Voices of Music no colgaba sus vídeos...y os he echado en falta!!! Gracias por volver.

[@ThirdBrainLives]

Magnificent!!

[@fabriciobendeck1774]

So beautiful

[@VoicesofMusic]

Thank you so much

[@AriataBarbara]

Excellent performance👏👏

[@scasny]

that open bottom C have such a power on those baroque strings.

[@lucienvergez1565]

Très très belle interprétation tout simplement magnifique 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏.

[@adelabujamra989]

Estou realmente MUITO impressionado 😲😲😲😲😲

[@SculptyWorks]

Beautiful! ❤❤👍👍

[@whoami8434]

Thank you

[@VoicesofMusic]

You're welcome

[@nadinewaldmann5890]

magical

[@jeancolapierrearmande3326]

Magnificant! No more words needed……

[@armandolopez8800]

Just one word colud describe this performance: PERFECTION... greetings from Mexico City.

[@VoicesofMusic]

Greetings from California!

[@lmao-xw3yj]

wow, I love this

[@cozinhadofscidreira]

Perfect! Perfeito!

[@judycook4314]

Very moving! I love he different artists that you let shine!

[@Miguel-ph6tx]

wonderful!

[@VoicesofMusic]

Many thanks!

[@moooonwalker]

Thanks for another update after a while. Like other subscribers here I enjoy the way you deliver the music through a different stage setup, that leads me into thinking this maybe is how people who listened to classic music as a contemporary music would have felt like.

[@BudnikYura]

Браво.