JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)

Suites for solo cello (BWV 1007-1012)
Adapted to the viola da gamba

CD I

Suite I (BWV 1007, C major)
1 Prélude
2 Allemande
3 Courante
4 Sarabande
5 Menuets I & II
6 Gigue

Suite III (BWV 1009, F major)
7 Prélude
8 Allemande
9 Courante
10 Sarabande
11 Bourrées I & II
12 Gigue

SUITE V (BWV 1011, D minor)
13 Prélude
14 Allemande
15 Courante
16 Sarabande
17 Gavottes I & II
18 Gigue

CD II

Suite II (BWV 1008, D minor)
1 Prélude
2 Allemande
3 Courante
4 Sarabande
5 Menuets I & II
6 Gigue

Suite IV (BWV 1010, G major)
7 Prélude
8 Allemande
9 Courante
10 Sarabande
11 Bourrées I & II
12 Gigue

Suite VI (BWV 1012, D major)
13 Prélude
14 Allemande
15 Courante
16 Sarabande
17 Gavottes I & II
18 Gigue

—

About this CD

Originally released in 2001 but unavailable for almost two years, Glossa has designed gorgeous new packaging for this most important of Paolo Pandolfo’s projects, possibly a milestone in the recording history of Bach’s music. Everybody seems to know these discs – despite almost no marketing effort, they are perceived with such benchmarks as Glenn Gould’s or Gustav Leonhardt’s renderings of the GoldbergVariations or Anner Bylsma’s performances of the original cello suites.

The fact that these suites sound so well on the viola da gamba is of course to a great extent due to Pandolfo’s magic touch. The rich sonority of the viola da gamba truly seems to enrich these pieces and Pandolfo’s remarkable transcription gives weight to his theory that Bach originally composed them with this instrument in mind. The argument is further developed by Pandolfo in the sumptuous booklet notes.

—