Cellist Harry Wimmer describes how he relearned Bach's Fifth Suite.First he took stock of all  he knew so far.


You cannot help hearing this piece through 20th Century ears. You must become a musical detective, looking for hidden clues, looking for the harmonic tensions. BartokStravinskyPicasso


Sherlock Holmes

  Get to know Bach's vast output and that of his contemporaries.

Look at the sources, the manuscripts. Compare the ornamented lute version.






























































Suite No. 5 in C Minor
(ms)



Suite for Lute in G Minor(ms)

Ex.1 Comparing the Allemandes



  Compare the Bach Gigue with Couperin's Les Canaries.  

Comparing the flow of the Prelude


  Delving into the meanings of the alla breve sign and the use of double-dotting  

Seeking the

  Summing up the path traveled in preparing for a fresh perforemance  



The Bach Cello Suites in the Anna Magdalena Manuscript Copies:

Suite No. 1 in G Majo
r
Suite No. 2 in D Minor
Suite No. 3 in C Major
Suite No. 4 in E Flat Major
Suite No. 5 in C Minor
Suite No. 6 in D Major

Compare Suite for Lute in G Minor (Lute Version of Suite No. 5 in Bach's autograph)


Return toLibrary - Reading RoomPablo CasalsHome: Harry Wimmer-
The Joy of Cello Playing site

Materials currently available:

"The Golden Treasure of San Juan"
"Casals Lives On in Puerto Rico"
The Six Bach Cello Suites (ms)
"Bach's C Minor Suite Was Written This Morning"
"Bach on the Bayou"

Learn more about


The Joy of Cello Playing
Books available online from: sharmusic.com.



This site created and maintained by Harry Wimmer (hwimmer@wimmercello.com). Thanks to Shirley Givens (sgivens@peabody.jhu.edu)
for her imaginative illustrations. Thanks to Kevin Wimmer (
kwimmer@aol.com) for his selfless and expert assistance.
Design and content ©1999 - 2006 by Harry Wimmer. Artwork ©1999 to 2002 by Shirley Givens.
All materials on this website are limited to personal, non-commercial use.