clayton string studio

Background on The Bach Cello Suites

Commentary and Analysis by Georg Mertens

Courante’s are in 3/4 (except 3/2 in Suite 5).
They all start with an up beat.
All three beats can be felt distinctly.
The main accent is on ONE.
TWO and THREE have a minor accent, of which THREE is slightly stronger.
Micro-dynamic units are usually one bar.

Although the Courante is quite fast, it is a dance and should convey the lightness of a dance.
As described by Mattheson the character of the Courante expresses “sweet hopefulness, something of the longing, something of the cheerful in the melody.”

This Courante combines in the single line cello part melody and accompaniment.
It starts with 2 G’s followed by the accompanying bass line D-G (see below the noted in brackets).
In the interpretation the bass needs to sound like a left hand accompaniment in a piano part:
short and light, whereas the first 2 G’s are equally strong melody notes and the melody should continue with the same strength with the slur of six 1/16, followed again by the accompaniment figure D-G.
It is important that we not only understand the two parts intellectually, but that a listener and we can hear the structure – like a cello Duo.

In this Courante we find often repeated phrases, introduced in the first beat, repeated on the second beat from where on the third beat is a transition to the same pattern in the following bar.
It was common in Baroque times to play the repetition of a phrase softer.

When expressing a phrase like the melody on the A string in bar 1, the contemporary Baroque way is technically not to push more on the bow for increased dynamic but use a faster speed for the climax of the phrase, here the D.

Many players prefer in the left hand to play phrases in the 3rd position instead of using string crossings.
I personally prefer using the string crossings from D to A; we assume today that the Baroque players used to allow open strings and preferred the first position.
Also, we play the first slur on the A string anyway and I feel, the sound of the A string asks to be taken up in the next corresponding phrases. The 3rd position on the D string would sound more muffled compared to the straight speaking A string.

The Courante is quite straightforward considering the bowings. The different editions rather show what the editor finds more comfortable, but musically they remain quite the same.
I found by surprise my very personal bowings in the edition by Werner Icking – exactly my bowings!

Courante – manuscript “C”. The “left hand” accompanying figure is in brackets /
bar 1 the climax of the phrase is expressed with higher bow speed /
bar 5 the repetitive figure is played softer.

Commentary by Christopher Costanza

In the Courante we hear a noticeable departure from the gentle, resonant, pulsating motion we’ve experienced thus far in the suite. Characteristic of courantes, the movement begins with an eighth note upbeat, an energetic, well-articulated G which is then repeated on the 1st measure downbeat, confirming our tonal center. The movement continues in a very high-energy, articulate fashion, in triple meter, very spirited and lively. Again, in a large measure due to the resonant nature of the key on G Major on a cello, the use of open strings (or notes that produce sympathetic ringing on open strings) produces a very open and healthy purity to the sound.

Throughout the movement, Bach contrasts lively, bouncy eighth note motion with slurred groups of 16th notes. This constant juxtaposition of short notes and connected ones creates textural interest, helps solidify and confirm the strong omnipresent rhythmic structure, and, if the performer is truly embracing the spirit of the music, gives the movement the rhythmic dance quality to which Bach clearly refers.

Of note are the two solid dotted quarter cadence points that Bach provides as momentary stopping points, one in each half of the binary structure. In the first half this cadence point is in G Major; in the 2nd, it’s in e minor, the relative minor of G Major. Bach’s sense of form and structure is perfectly balanced; these two moments of “rest” fall in ideal places amidst the excitement and energy that permeate the movement.

Click here to download a PDF file of my bowing and fingerings for this movement