h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Bach Cello Suites - A970814
Author: markgaltrey - U219584

There was a request in response to the cello article for information about the Bach cello suites. I've been playing the suites for some years now abd have tried to distill some of the history, structure and format of the suites along with a few recommendations of recordings

Nice...

I imagine our resident classical buff, Gnomon, will be along in a minute to chat about these, so I'll get my word in edgways first.

The entry as it stands is fine. As this is your first entry, I won't pester you too much about learning GuideML (A187229 if you're interested - it will improve the look of the entry enormously), but I would make the following comments:

The list of 'styles' is, as you say, very abbreviated. There's no reason why you shouldn't flesh this out a bit more if you feel like it.

Also, it does interrupt the flow of the piece, putting the 'styles' list in the middle of the description of movements. Why not move it down a bit?

"It's hard to explain on paper, so I can only recommned listening to the suites for yourself" - I don't know whether you've read the Writing-Guidelines, but the Edited Guide tends to frown upon the usage of first-person in entries. I'd rejig this to something like:

"listening to the suites for one's self can be recommended"

Lastly, and this is by no means compulsory, writers of entries about musical pieces or artists find that there is some leeway for critical opinion (whatever the Writing-Guidelines say!. If you have a strong opinion about any of the seats, it can be easily included under the guise of "popular opinion..." or "it has often been said...". I find it helps to make entries a bit less stuffy.

Anyhow, these are just some minor issues with a good entry, and I hope you will carry on writing for the guide.

B

Looks fine to me. Succinct and to the point.

It's hard to imagine that anyone who's interested in reading this won't know which Bach you are talking about, but just add the JS once for safety!

Pau Casals, unfortunately, didn't survive into this century so you need a little tweak there. Oops!

There's a typo I'd better mention - it's Pieter Wispelwey. I believe he plays a baroque rather than a modern cello - you might like to mention that.

This is great!
I'm in a bit of a hurry, but I'll get back to you with some comments.

M (cellist)

Good Entry!

I agree that you should certainly say JS Bach, since there were four Bachs writing at around that time.

You should mention that the Suites are for solo cello in the very first line.

Is it normal to perform all six suites as a single work now? Was this the intention when Bach wrote them?

Two typos:

The were --> They were
hte --> the

Hi again!

As I said, I think this is a very good entry!

I agree that the list of "moods" in the different suites should be placed differently - or even removed... Did you come up with these characterizations yourself? I'm not saying I disagree with them, but, as you yourself say - it *is* reducing the music a little...

What you might mention is that the 5th suite is written for scordatura (A string tuned down to a G) and that the 6th suite is actually written for a cello piccolo - with an E string a fifth higher than the A string (The A being the highest string on a normal cello). Which makes the 6th perhaps the most technically demanding of the suites for modern-day cellists, as hardly anyone has a cello piccolo these days (I believe its popularity was rather short-lived...).

It's not exactly normal to play all the suites in one concert - that would be a rather long concert! - but I know Pieter Wispelwey did just that already as a student (my teacher was a fellow student of his). That must be something of a cello marathon - I'm sure I couldn't do it myself! (quite apart from the fact that I don't reach Wispelwey to the ankle anyway...)

And yes, you might also mention that many cellists prefer to play this music on baroque cellos, whose sound (and bowing technique)is a bit different from modern cellos. And that some musicians try to approach this "baroque" sound/style even when playing on modern cellos, whereas others keep to the (romantic?) tradition of Casals (such as Tortelier - personally I think he was a brilliant cellist, but his Bach recording is awful...in my opinion! ). Although this subject (how to play ancient music) craves an entry of its own!

Oh, and another point you might make is that these suites form an absolutely essencial part of today's cello repertoire!

I'll stop now. Thank you for writing the entry!

M

BTW, have you tried playing the C minor scordatura? It gives the cello a wonderful, dark sound, at least it did on my cello!

M

Thanks to everyone for their feedback - I'm trying to get to grips with GuideML so I can make it look better and I'll do my best to make the additions/changes when I have a minute. It's always nice to hear other people's views, especially other cellists!

Mark

Any progress as of late?

According to the Researcher data box on your Personal Space Mark, it's almost two months since you posted anything at h2g2. When that two month mark arrives it's deemed that a Researcher is AWOL and we ask the Editors to move the entry out of PR. Entries which are almost but not quite finished go to the Flea Market Writing-FleaMarket where another Researcher can pick it up and work on it; entries which are not so good go back to the author's space, where it was before it was submitted it here. This one is certainly good enough to go to the Flea Market, so it would be great if you could let us know as soon as you return here if you want to continue working on it and get it on the Front Page.

Unless anyone else thinks it's good enough already to be recommended. Bels? Miranda?

At the moment, if it was picked and approved I'm offering to sub it as is (as a one-off), incorporating the comments here. No problem.

Or it could be allocated to another sub.

Or someone could pick it up from the Flea Market when it times out, tweak it and put it back through PR. I don't think that would be me. Of course if it did go into the FM it might languish.

Then let's give it the required two months just in case the author returns. Then maybe another Scout will recommend it

If you are minded to pick it, there is absolutely nothing to be gained by waiting. As a sub I would try to establish contact with the author anyway.

So if anyone has a spare pick at the moment, this one is up for grabs.

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Congratulations, Mark!

Thanks, Bels, for volunteering to sub this.