Bach’s Cello Suites

    J.S. Bach composed his six suites for cello between 1717 – 1723, and, in part due to their technical difficulty, were neglected until recorded by the great Pablo Casals in the early 20th century. Now, they are amongst the most performed pieces of classical music, bringing out the great range and beauty of the cello as a solo instrument. The scores have no annotation, leaving it up to the performer to interpret, and here is one such by Marc Coppey, all six of them in a row, itself a great achievement. As may be said, there are three levels of those music, which may be visualized in pyramidal form: The elite composers, the performers, and the appreciators, with overlap amongst them. Wherever we fall, we can all appreciate such sublimity, a contrast and refuge from the world.