Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir - Marrow: The 6 Suites for Solo Cello by J.S. Bach (2023) [Official Digital Download 24/192]

There is an Icelandic saying, “mergur málsins”, which directly translates to “the marrow of the matter,” and these Suites, to me, speak directly to the essence of being human. As for many cellists, these Suites have been my steady companion throughout my life with the cello, first as a vehicle to learn counterpoint, style, and harmony, then as material with which to explore personal expression and interpretation, and today they are a mirror, reflecting the deeper truth of the human experience, revealing more layers of meaning each time I come back to them.

As far as we know, these Suites were not written for the church, and by 1720, they were not written for people to actually dance to, but rather as forms with familiar rhythms and style. In contrast to the Violin Sonatas and Partitas which were written around the same time, the Cello Suites each have the same movement structure, which includes a Prelude and two pairs of dances (Allemande and Courante, Sarabande and Gigue) with an added “wildcard” of pairs of Menuets, Gavottes, or Bourées. Rather than hindering expression, this structure seems to enable more creativity to flow, as Bach pushes the boundaries of the expressive and technical possibilities of the instrument with each succeeding Suite.

During the heart of the pandemic of 2020, I found comfort and refuge in these Suites. As I began to play them not just individually but as a set, an arch started to emerge, a true hero’s journey: starting with the innocent 1st Suite in G major, the first taste of bitter disappointment in the d minor 2nd Suite, a renewed optimism in the 3rd Suite in C major, the bold and brash 4th Suite in Eb Major, the dark tragedy of the 5th Suite in C minor, and finally the glorious redemption of the 6th Suite in D Major. My hope in presenting these Suites without repeats is to more clearly illuminate this arch of their presented order so that we may more closely follow this universal storyline.

Tracklist:
01. Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: I. Prélude
02. Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: II. Allemande
03. Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: III. Courante
04. Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: IV. Sarabande
05. Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: V. Menuett I - VI. Menuett II
06. Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: VII. Gigue
07. Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008: I. Prélude
08. Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008: II. Allemande
09. Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008: III. Courante
10. Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008: IV. Sarabande
11. Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008: V. Menuett I - VI. Menuett II
12. Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008: VII. Gigue
13. Bach: Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009: I. Prélude
14. Bach: Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009: II. Allemande
15. Bach: Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009: III. Courante
16. Bach: Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009: IV. Sarabande
17. Bach: Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009: V. Bourrée I - VI. Bourrée II
18. Bach: Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009: VII. Gigue
19. Bach: Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010: I. Prélude
20. Bach: Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010: II. Allemande
21. Bach: Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010: III. Courante
22. Bach: Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010: IV. Sarabande
23. Bach: Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010: V. Bourrée I - VI. Bourrée II
24. Bach: Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010: VII. Gigue
25. Bach: Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: I. Prélude
26. Bach: Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: II. Allemande
27. Bach: Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: III. Courante
28. Bach: Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: IV. Sarabande
29. Bach: Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: V. Gavotte I - VI. Gavotte II
30. Bach: Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: VII. Gigue
31. Bach: Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: I. Prélude
32. Bach: Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: II. Allemande
33. Bach: Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: III. Courante
34. Bach: Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: IV. Sarabande
35. Bach: Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: V. Gavotte I - VI. Gavotte II
36. Bach: Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: VII. Gigue


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