Description

When you think of the cello, you think of Bach's timeless cello suites.

The suites are the focal point in cello literature. They are elegant and enduring, accompanying cellists from their student days all the way to their peak professional careers.

Naturally and fittingly, there are numerous versions of the suites. However, the composer's original manuscript has not survived. It is missing, and this situation has consistently posed a significant obstacle for editors. The four remaining handwritten texts and the original first edition of 1824 vary in numerous details, with the wording and phrasing being especially unclear.

At Bärenreiter, after publishing the New Bach Edition and currently releasing the Revised New Bach Edition, we have a strong dedication to the cello suites. We have tackled the editorial issues from various perspectives and have released editions that satisfy the requirements of both students and professional performers.

This updated edition, drawing from volume 4 of the NewBach Edition – Revised (NBArev), now finalizes Bärenreiter’s compilation of the cello suite editions. Andrew Talle has significantly reevaluated the connections among the existing sources and has reached conclusions about their assessment and, as a result, the origin of the suites. His assessments are enhanced by detailed discussions about the instrument intended for the suites and the interpretative methods used in Bach's era.

The edition's musical text is grounded in these discoveries. It aligns with the composer's initial intentions to the extent that the sources allow. Information about articulation was considered valid and incorporated into the musical text if it was present in most of the sources. “This edition does not offer a flawless reconstruction of the missing original; no editor can assert that they can.” Rather, I have sought to offer musicians and academics a trustworthy edition of the existing musical text of the six cello suites and to illuminate