JS Bach, Anner Bylsma - Six Cello Suites

Hello all, just learned that Anner Bijlsma died a month ago. Rest in peace ! and a deep bow and thank you! for this performance! To me, it was THE outstanding performance (and I even preferred it to the Casals performance). What impresses me most: this composition (atleast formally) is dance music: all 6 suites are sequences of dances preceded by a prelude ... and Maestro Bijlsma plays it in a way that the listener not can believe this is dance music but that the feet are itching to dance (atleast my feet are :-) ).

Let me contribute a few infos about the performance and recording from my vinyl record's booklet: recording took place during April an May 1979 in Eching/Landshut/Bavaria in Germany. On the first five suites, Anner Bijlsma plays baroque violoncello built by Mattio Gofriller in Venzia/Italy in 1669. The booklet does not tell about the strings used, but the recording's soncs tell me he uses gut strings. For the sixth suite he uses a 5-string violoncello piccolo built in South Tyrol/Italy around 1700.

@Lucian Popescu: I agree with you, but IMO you should add another absolute masterpiece to your list: the prelude from Suite #5: the slow start sets the mood and the pace and when the tempo doubles up, you will find the longest melodic and rhythmic phrases Bach has ever written (AFAIK). Anyone who tries to memorize the melody and to sing along without interupting the phrases... will find himself run out-of-breath :-)

Greetings, Bernhard

Anner Bylsma and in particular this recording are among the great musical inspirations of my life.... I was very sad to find out today that Anner Bylsma sadly passed away in July this year. Thank you Mr Bylsma for riches way beyond words.

Rest in peace Anner Bylsma. It is nice to know how the suites sounded back in the day with gut strings.

An era has ended.

RIP

Is this being played on the Servais cello?

2 geniuses of music.

Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007
00:00 Prelude
02:11 Allemande
06:37 Courante
09:32 Sarabande
11:44 Menuet I & II
15:15 Gigue

Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008
17:02 Prelude
20:10 Allemande
24:01 Courante
26:08 Sarabande
29:26 Menuet I & II
32:38 Gigue

Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009
35:13 Prelude
38:21 Allemande
42:52 Courante
46:12 Sarabande
49:19 Bourrée I & II
52:31 Gigue

Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat major, BWV 1010
55:43 Prelude
59:37 Allemande
1:03:47 Courante
1:07:22 Sarabande
1:11:02 Bourree I + II
1:15:38 Gigue

Cello Suite No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011
1:18:42 Prelude
1:23:40 Allemande
1:27:46 Courante
1:29:44 Sarabande
1:33:04 Gavotte I & II
1:37:10 Gigue

Cello Suite No. 6 in D major, BWV 1012
1:39:20 Prelude
1:44:03 Allemande
1:51:07 Courante
1:54:48 Sarabande
1:58:57 Gavotte I & II
2:02:01 Gigue

59:39

What a spectacular recording! The interpretations are so crisp and interesting. That said, they are surpasst by the incredible sound of this cello. My Lord : what a crisp edgy lantern in the middle of a cavernously mothy midnight landscape is this tone. Remarkably similar to a very Gothick canvas by Alessandro Magnasco...

The loneliness or sorrow feelings that perfectly reflects Bach days, where death was always surrounding the human being... there is no baroque cello that could transmit this so well as the deep and sober Anner Bylsma. I cherish this double CD, so praised when recorded. Love Isserlis (in Baroque cello) or Schiff (in Romantic repertoire), but in this case, it is Bylsma who did a masterwork. Highly recommend it.

The original recording on Pro Arte and the only one, I think, which can stand alongside Casal's definitive interpretation. The 1999 re-recording on CBS Sony doesn't satisfy as much.

Suite #6 Prelude is SUCH an absolute masterpiece: not only it uses implied polyphony on a single instrument, but like best of Bach's works (Chaconne or Art of Fugue) it leaves a feeling of integrity (anything else added or subtracted would feel out of place). Bylsma's interpretation and the instrument itself are marvelous...

Legendary recordings waiting to be found. Oh the sorrow. Why does shitty pp have more views than this legendary recording?!

Talking about legendary recordings.

Such an amazing interpretation

Desde la primera vez que oí las suites de Bach gracias a Gilbert Durand, en sus clases de estética, comprendí que algo irreversible me unía a ellas. Durante años busqué cuanto se editaba sobre el tema y escuché ávidamente interpretaciones de autores noveles y de maestros consagrados, encontrando en pocas la vena oculta que la serie contiene. Ocurre con estas de Anner Bylsma de un preciosismo expresivo que me hacen volar a mis tiempos barrocos. Los de mi estancia romana, cuando insaciable buscaba cuanta arquitectura robara sombras a la luz y la transformara en variaciones sin límite, entonces, más que nunca, Bylsma fue quien correspondía con lo que en aquella escenografía me hacía vibrar. Él encajaba en el contexto. Y este preludio de la suite nº 6 es un buen ejemplo de esa conjunción, expresiva hasta la teatralidad. Como el encanto de esas noches en las que la templanza romana me hacía caminar hasta caer exhausto.

It's a baroque cello.. But fantastic :)

The problem lies in the definition (resolution) of the photocopy C0urante used.
I am sure because I have got the CD at hand.

Although I do prefer his other recording. Which has a better jacket too. (The sony recording.)