Xenia Janković - Suite No. 1 in G major BWV1007: Menuet I - Menuet II

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• published: 03 Jul 2016
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“The Suites for solo cello are the quintessence of Bach’s work as a composer – and Bach is the quintessence of all music.” Pablo Casals. I first heard Pablo Casals’ enthusiastic and passionate statement in my early childhood. As a seven-year old, when I was first allowed to play Bach’s First Suite, I felt that something both great and mysterious awaited me. This music spoke to me directly. How can such a profound work speak to so young a child? Much has been written about Bach’s cello Suites. My intention here is not to add my own contribution to historical research, in particular concerning the problematic nature of the sources. I simply would like to share a personal vision of these works that have always been a part of my life. I see Johann Sebastian Bach’s "6 Suites a violoncello solo senza basso" as the different stages of life, highlighting the transition from youth to maturity. The choice and order of the keys, added to textures of growing complexity, seem to divide the set into a symmetrical diptych: G major, D minor, C major; and E flat major, C minor, D major. The First Suite, in G major, guides as through the early years. The different movements, short and simple, express confidence, freshness and innocence, reflecting the link to Nature. The second Suite in D minor, melancholy and intimate, evokes in my mind the mingled feelings of adolescence: solitude, sadness, but also pride and passion. In the Third Suite in C major, of a more extraverted character, the strength, joy and energy are those of a young adult who, with both feet on the ground, acquires a glowing self-confidence. The last three suites, gaining in length and complexity, lead us to a loftier spiritual horizon. The Fourth Suite in E flat major opens on the mature years, on wisdom of life that offers a profound, universal outlook. The nobility of this work reaches an elevated plane that gives faith in life. The C minor key of the Fifth Suite immerses us in the dark world of tragedy, of human grief, the world of the "Pietà" and the "Lamentation of Christ". This is in stark contrast with the profound joy of the Sixth Suite, written in the golden key of D major: it fills us with love and gratitude, evoking an earthly paradise. In this suite Bach explores the limits of the technical and tonal possibilities of the instrument; the length and complexity of the movements reach their peak, crowning the entire cycle. The profiles of the individual movements could be summed up as follows: the Prelude as an introduction to the key, character and mood of the whole suite; the Allemande as the first dance form, a calm, noble invitation, often resembling an understanding, affectionate sermon; the Courante as a fast and light-footed dance, except in the Fifth Suite, where it assumes a far graver character; the Sarabande, as a slow, interiorised dance, a meditative prayer; the Menuet / Bourrée / Gavotte, as the most distinctive dances, punctuated by bows and curtsies; the Gigue as the final dance, drawing on an energetic, popular inspiration. To present the six Suites on two CDs, for practical purposes, I have chosen to shift this human order slightly by starting out with the sensitive interiority of the Second Suite before finally returning to the innocence of the First, which thus sounds like the promise of a new life cycle. Xenia Janković RECORDING DATA March 2006 at the Église Évangélique, Saint-Marcel, Paris, France Producer and Musical Adviser: Nikolaos Samaltanos Sound Engineer: Joël Perrot Digital Editing: Evi Iliades CD available for purchase: http://axesrecords.wix.com/axes#!catalog---shopping/cjg9 www.xenia-jankovic.com