Six Suites for Violoncello

  • Among the highlights of 18th-century solo string literature
  • Reliable transcription in a fine performing edition
  • An arrangement for viola based on a thorough study of the sources of Bach's cello suites
  • A spacious, modern engraving (24.3 cm × 31 cm) with practical page turns
  • From early on, these pieces have also been performed on the viola, a practice that still enjoys popularity today

The source situation regarding the cello suites is complex: Bach's autographs are lost, and the surviving sources often contradict each other with regard to phrasing, bowing, and other musical details. While most existing viola transcriptions rely on the manuscript copy by Anna Magdalena Bach, this edition follows the manuscript prepared by Johann Nikolaus Schober as well as the anonymous manuscript believed to be commissioned by Johann Traeg more closely because they might reflect later thoughts and elaborations on the suites by the composer.