JS Bach's Cello Suites

J. S. Bach’s Cello Suites: Composing an Idiomatic Equivalent for the Trombone Alexander van Duuren College of Fine Arts, University of Florida ABSTRACT Around the year 1720, J. S. Bach composed a series of six suites for solo violoncello. These suites are a very popular component of Bach’s extensive repertoire and consequently have been transcribed for various instruments, including the trombone. However, since the performance capabilities of the cello differ greatly from those of the trombone, it is difficult or nearly impossible to play the suites in their original form. The purpose of this research was to compose an original, unaccompanied suite for the trombone that en- capsulates both the essence of Bach’s cello suites as well as idiomatic writing for the trombone. The product is a set of six movements (Prelude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Bourrée I/II, and Gigue) in the Baroque style. The combination of technical exercises for the trombone with the popular and established style of Bach results in a musical etude that is interesting and effective. INTRODUCTION however, Bach was most concerned with capturing the character of the dance, as opposed to the rigidly confining Johann Sebastian Bach was about as prolific a composer steps and structure that these movements would imply if as has ever lived. The sheer volume of his work is as- they were to actually be danced. Nonetheless, the most de- tounding, yet perhaps more striking is the quality of nearly fining characteristics of each dance, such as meter, tempo, every composition. Living from 1685 to 1750 in Germany, and rhythm, were generally preserved. Bach was a master teacher of organ and keyboard, and well Although they are performed and recorded quite often, as the leading artisan of tonal counter-point. Many of these suites are some of the most important pedagogical Bach’s compositions were written for the purpose of repertoire for the cello. In fact, they are so widely popular teaching, not for performance, per se. Although these types that various other instruments have adapted Bach’s music of works are often performed in concert halls and auditori- to be included in their own repertoire. Virtually every in- ums, Bach never intended many of them to reach outside strument has seen a transcription or two of these suites, and the walls of a practice studio. among the most common is the trombone. Even without Around 1720, Bach composed a series of six suites for any transcription at all, a trombonist could play most of solo violoncello. A suite is generally defined as a set of this music and still have a productive practice and gain instrumental movements, often in the same key, that are ability on the instrument. performed at a single sitting. The Baroque definition of the Music written specifically for a string instrument does term (which applies specifically to the composition style of not simply translate, either aurally or in performance, to a Bach’s time) suggests that the movements are based on the brass instrument. It is simply a matter of the nature of the form and style of different dances (“Suite” New Grove two instruments: a cellist has no breathing restrictions, can Online). In his suites, Bach used a specific format of Ba- play polyphonically, and relies mainly on dexterity of fin- roque dances. Each suite included six movements, each one gers and bow technique. Conversely, the trombone player being a different dance, with the exception of the first must breathe every few bars or so, plays only mono- movement (Prelude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, phonically, and requires a complex muscle development in Minuet I/II or Bourrée I/II, or Gavotte I/II, Gigue). Bach the areas around the cheek, lips, and jaw. This by no means was consistent throughout each suite with the types of signifies any disparity in the degree of difficulty for either dances and their ordering, although the fifth movement of instrument, but rather that the pronounced variations in each suite requires some explanation: this movement was technique result in different performances of the music. comprised of two short dances of varying characters. Of Because they are such effective and beautiful exercises, the six suites for solo violon-cello, the fifth movement of it is important that the affectivity of Bach's "Cello Suites" the first two suites used the Minuet, the second two the be available to all instruments. The purpose of my research Bourrée, and the final two the Gavotte. was to bring an original unaccompanied suite, following The various dances exhibit different core characteristics Bach’s general style and compositional practice, to the and some of them are quite specific. In the cello suites, trombone. Through a careful and measured combination of University of Florida | Journal of Undergraduate Research | Volume 9, Issue 4 | Summer 2008 1 ALEXANDER VAN DUUREN both baroque and contemporary writing, my goal is to fa- cordings were electronic images of the original manuscript cilitate a successful merger between the pedagogical effec- copies of the Cello Suites, the so-called “Anna Magdalena tiveness of the baroque dance suite and idiomatic writing Manuscripts.” These were invaluable in understanding for a wind instrument. Bach’s compositional intentions, free of editorial markings (wimmercello.com/bachms.html). Although rather difficult METHODOLOGIES to read, Figure 2 shows an example from the manuscript of Bach’s Second Suite in D minor. In composing an original suite of baroque dances, a specific research process was applied: 1) Research the baroque dances in their original forms. 2) Study the dance movements in J. S. Bach's "Cello Suites." 3) Use the Finale 2004 musical notation software, a synthesizer, and an Edirol R-09 to test and record musical ideas as part of the composition process. Sources for the objective and historical aspect of this research included Meredith Little and Natalie Jenne’s Dance and the Music of J. S. Bach as well as the New Grove Dic- tionary of Music and Musicians, widely regarded as one of Figure 2: Example from D minor Prelude the most comprehensive sources of music history. Al- Source: Wimmercello.com though the plan for this composition was to capture the The final part of the research process was the use of the essence of a particular dance style, it was vital that I, as the Finale 2004 musical notation software by Coda Music composer, understood the very specific structures of these Technologies and a synthesizer keyboard. Finale is one of dances in their most conservative form. Dance and the Mu- the most widely used notation programs, and includes sic of J. S. Bach includes many diagrams and tables deline- nearly every tool for composers to notate their music. The ating the “skeleton” of these dances. In studying these “Speedy Edit” feature of Finale was used for input, which diagrams and learning about each identifying factor of the assigns certain shortcut keys to musical values or mark- baroque dances, I was able to learn the styles, so that I ings. could scale down the specificity of my actual composition. While Finale does include a bank of sounds used for To build knowledge of Bach’s works, two CD re- playback, it was essential to me that my composing come cordings were used for listening and score study. The first from actual performance. For that reason, I used a Casio is an album by János Starker, Distinguished Professor of synthesizer keyboard as an aid in the compositional proc- Cello at Indiana University, and a leader in cello perform- ess. This keyboard includes hundreds of various sounds, ance and musical interpretation. For the purpose of con- however, the sound that I used for the purposes of com- trast, the second recording selected was an album by Edgar posing and recording was the “Tuba” sound, number 180 in Meyer, a double bassist who is most notable as having the main bank. I chose this sound over the Casio’s trom- been a member of the popular ensemble Béla Fleck and the bone sound because it produced the most resonant sound Flecktones. Meyer’s interpretation of the cello suites is applicable to the music I was writing. Finally, when making recordings of the finished composition, I used an Edirol R-09 personal recorder. The Edirol is a digital recorder with built-in stereo microphones. It has a simple and easy-to-use interface and records directly to Secure Digital Memory. I was able to perform the works on the keyboard as a “live” recording of the music, for my own immediate and future purposes. Each movement was played on the trombone during the compositional process and adjustments to the composition were made. The suites will be recorded in full in the future. Upon finishing the movements, I received professional advice from two sources: Dr. Arthur C. Jennings, Professor of Trombone at Figure 1: Example of typical rhythmic patterns found in the Sarabande the University of Florida, and Mr. John Stevens, tubist and composer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. considerably more contemporary, not to mention that it is performed on double bass, which naturally incorporates a different color to the recording. Supplementing these re- 2 J. S. BACH CELLO SUITES RESULTS mony; while the music is wholly tonal and does not exceed boundaries per se, there are a few aggressively modern It should be noted that for this project, the Bourrée was moments. While baroque music rarely alternated time sig- chosen as the fifth movement of the suite. Upon research- natures within a phrase (called mixed meter), Figure 5 ing the three dances Bach used as a fifth movement, I de- shows a point in my Prelude where this technique is used.

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