Although i had been familiar with these works through the recordings of several great cellists over many years, this one seemed to reveal a deeper emotional level of awareness for me in addition to a beautiful sound and an acute sense of form and structure. Oct 11, 2014 we were treated to david watkin giving us bachs second cello suite in d minor bwv 1008 an extremely pleasant surprise, given it wasnt listed in the season brochure. The cello suites are found together with a copy of the sonatas and partitas for solo violin. Bach cello suites are some of the most frequently performed and recognizable solo compositions ever written for cello. Back in april 2017, we teamed up with kings place, london to film unlocking the bach cello suites with david watkin as part of their cello unwrapped series. The suites have been transcribed for numerous instruments, including the violin, viola, double bass, viola da gamba, mandolin, piano, marimba, classical guitar, recorder, electric bass, horn, saxophone, bass clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, euphonium, tuba, ukulele, and. That is how david watkin s 2015 recording of the bach cello suites affected me. Paul watkins born 1970 is a welsh classical cellist and conductor. Cellist david watkin announced as scottish conservatoire. From 1990 to 1997, he was principal cellist of the bbc symphony orchestra watkins joined the emerson string quartet in the 2014. This is the first article in the american harp journal about prof. From 1990 to 1997, he was principal cellist of the bbc symphony orchestra. With pianist howard moody he has recorded beethoven cello sonatas chandos and francis potts 1996 sonata guild.
Bachs six suites for solo cello describing in detail each of the six movements from each of the six suites is too big a task for this page. Six cello suites, bwv 10071012 transcribed for viola by simon rowlandjones peters dotzauergrant fundamentals of cello technique, volume 1 cello solo ludwig music publishing krane, charles new school of cello studies, book 2 cello solo spratt music publishers cello concerto, op. Bach most likely composed them during the period 171723, when he served as kapellmeister in kothen. Its not a bad book by any means and im glad i read it. A wonderful and moving rendition that everyone should discover.
His first recording as a conductor, of the berg and britten violin concertos with. In 1988, he won the bbc young musician of the year in the string section. Renowned cellist and interpreter of baroque music david watkin records j. The idea to write a book about the bach suites, one that is not aimed at classical connoisseurs, came to me when i first heard three of the cello suites in that. Aug 03, 2017 back in april 2017, we teamed up with kings place, london to film unlocking the bach cello suites with david watkin as part of their cello unwrapped series.
The diversity and scope among various recordings of these works seems remarkable, given that the oldest of them was written only in 1964. Davids recording of bachs cello suites won both a gramophone award and a bbc music magazine award. Cello suites david watkin resonus classics res10147. Eric silbins the cello suites tenderly tracks them through bachs creation, their. Cellist david watkin announced as scottish conservatoire head.
A timeless recording november 21, 2011 by donald p. Back in april 2017, we teamed up with kings place, london to film unlocking the bach cello suites with david watkin as part of their cello. Bach s cello suites are renowned as the pinnacle of the instrument s repertoire, and are performed here in period performances by internationally acclaimed cellist david. The cello suites david lander dec 20, 2010 the cello suites. David watkin baroque cello renowned cellist and interpreter of baroque music david watkin records the cello suites by j. Bach, pablo casals, and the search for a baroque masterpiece, by eric siblin new york.
Regular readers will know i am a great fan of watkin s playing as the orchestras principal cellist. Regular readers will know i am a great fan of watkin s playing as the orchestras principal cellist, and as a soloist he acquitted himself no less well. Siblins book is partly an attempt to flesh out these portraits. I would guess biographies of famous cellists would fit the bill, and be a good place to start. David watkins recording of bachs cello suites has been named one of the top classical music recordings of 2015 by music critic and writer kate molleson.
It was one of three recordings included alongside casals in gramophones list of the 50 greatest bach recordings. John friesen performs these works on a very attractivesounding instrument, which has a deep, rich bass, and wonderful resonance. This is purely intended to help those that are looking for example videos of. Watkins and is the culmination of numerous visits by john browne to prof. The six cello suites, bwv 10071012, are suites for unaccompanied cello by johann sebastian bach. Catherines college, cambridge, as a choral scholar.
It was another fifty years before the inquisitive eyes of a thirteenyearold cellist by the name of pablo casals found a battered copy of the suites, thought of then as a collection of humdrum studies for the aspiring cellist, in a secondhand music store in barcelona. Sep 07, 2015 yoyo ma plays the entire six unaccompanied suites by johann sebastian bach at the bbc proms at the royal albert hall on the 5th of september, 2015. Using two historic instruments and playing on gut strings, david watkin gives a definitive period instrument account of bachs six solo cello suites. Bachs cello suites on two instruments of historical note including the only. Cello david watkin has made a wide range of recordings including the vivaldi cello sonatas with the kings consort hyperion and haydns sinfonia concertante with orchestra of the age of enlightenment virgin. They have been featured in concerts and commercials alike, transcribed for a diverse array of instruments, and interpreted. The cello suites in particular are claimed by an assortment of other instruments, from viola to trombone and clarinet, in addition to the orchestral arrangements. Bach, rightly considered as the pinnacle of writing for solo cello. The royal conservatoire of scotland has today announced cellist and conductor david watkin as their new head of strings a student of william pleeth, he served as principal cellist with the philharmonia orchestra, scottish chamber orchestra, english baroque. David watkins recording of the bach cello suites won both gramohpone and bbc music awards. There is grit and solemnity, pain and resolve, but no trace of the anger that his illness must have caused during the recording. He is the artistic director of the great lakes chamber music festival in detroit since 2014, the cellist of the emerson string quartet since 20 and. As a boy he had thorough training in the cello, including private lessons with sharon mckinley and school lessons with margaret moncrieff and amaryllis fleming.
Four anthologies of english music stainer and bell 1. David watkins recording of bachs cello suites is out on resonus classics on march 2. We were treated to david watkin giving us bachs second cello suite in d minor bwv 1008 an extremely pleasant surprise, given it wasnt listed in the season brochure. Benjamin brittens suites for solo cello have been extensively documented. Recorded by any cellist worth his salt, these works contain some of the most poignant and emotional music bach ever wrote. Oct, 2016 the bach revival had begun, but the cello suites still languished without recognition. Mstislav rostropovich recorded his decca accounts of brittens op. They are some of the most frequently performed and recognizable solo compositions ever written for cello. David watkin, one of our most inspired continuo players, is a consummate virtuoso. He makes life difficult for his readers by copying the. Eric siblins bach infatuation in the cello suites the. Bachs cello suites are arguably the greatest works ever written for solo cello. This is said to be the last recording by british cellist david watkin, who is moving to conducting due to a muscle problem.
The bach cello suites are some of the most recognizable and wellloved pieces of music in both classical and popular circles. David watkin cello artist hyperion records cds, mp3. David has revived the 18thcentury practice of realising figured bass on the cello. David watkin is one of the leading cellists in the period performance movement in london. Yoyo ma plays the entire six unaccompanied suites by johann sebastian bach at the bbc proms at the royal albert hall on the 5th of september, 2015. The royal conservatoire of scotland has today announced cellist and conductor david watkin as their new head of strings a student of william pleeth, he served as principal cellist with the philharmonia orchestra, scottish chamber orchestra, english baroque soloists and the lorchestre revolutionnaire et romantique and was a founding member of the eroica quartet. David watkins cello suites named one of 2015s top classical. Yo yo ma bach six cello suites bbc proms 2015 youtube. Usually ships in 24 hours, unless stock becomes depleted. If i stay by gayle forman, the cello suites by eric siblin, where she went by gayle forman, the garden of letters by alyson richm.
A great look at the bach up for debate cello suites. They have performed in major venues throughout europe and the usa. Bach s cello suites are renowned as the pinnacle of the instrument s repertoire, and are performed here in period performances by internationally acclaimed cellist david watkin. The six bach cello suites theanna magdalena manuscripts, the lute version autograph of suite no. The first enthusiasm of my musical life was the making of clavichords and harpsichords, so it was natural that i became obsessed by early music. Mar 10, 2015 this is said to be the last recording by british cellist david watkin, who is moving to conducting due to a muscle problem. It tells the life stories of bach and casals in relation to the cello suites, along with the story of the authors discovery of the suites and subsequent research into them. He is a member of the eroica quartet which has astonished critics around the world with its radical performances of the music of the early romantics. Almost every great cellist of the twentieth century has recorded johann sebastian bachs six suites for solo cello. For sheer verve, variety and spontaneity, watkins period instrument recording is a must. Bach cello suites book 1, m570244157, 3611866, kevin. Bachs suites for unaccompanied cello have long been among my favorite pieces of music. Paul watkins is an exclusive recording artist with chandos records and his recent releases include brittens cello symphony, the delius, elgar, lutoslawski and walton cello concertos, and discs of british and american music for cello and piano with huw watkins.
Mostly, watkins shapes his phrases with all the time and love in the world. The fact that bach also wrote a version of the fifth cello suite for lute has fascinated me for a very long time. The solo cello suites are perhaps the cellists equivalent of climbing. The idea was vague, but i had a strong sense there was a story there, somewhere, and decided to follow in the footsteps of the notes. Watkins studied cello with william pleeth, melissa phelps and johannes goritzki. Siblin has written about the cello suites from a wideeyed newbies point of view. They are some of the most frequently performed and recognizable. There have been fine recent recordings of bachs suites on baroque cello, including richard tunnicliffes characterful accounts linn, but this, to me, feels like the set ive spent years waiting for. The english cellist, david watkin, read music at st catharines. The unusual historical instruments will get attention. It is a task so daunting that the famous russian cellist mstislav rostropovich only felt himself worthy of the feat at the age of 68 in his much anticipated 1995 recording, legendary even before its release.
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