A Practical Guide to Bach Cello Suite Editions

The Bach Cello Suite No. 1 Study Book

This book takes every measure of Bach's first suite for solo cello apart and teaches it through a carefully planned set of exercises.

The entire first suite is included at the end of the book.

Bach 6 Suites: Wenzinger

This is by far my favorite edition of the Bach Suites. Clear, easy to read and with a practical, yet respectful approach to the manuscripts, this edition has a lot to recommend.

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Six Suites For Cello Solo, BWV 1007-1012 Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Edited by August Wenzinger. Stapled. Baroque. Cello solo book. With introductory text (German/English) and performance notes (German only). BWV 1007-1012. 70 pages. Baerenreiter Verlag #BA00320. Published by Baerenreiter Verlag (BA.BA00320).

Bach 6 Suites: Voss

I'm not as fond of the Henle edition as I am of the Barenreiter; perhaps it has to do with the print, which I find less easy to read.

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6 Suites for Violoncello Solo BWV 1007-1012 Cello Solo. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Edited by Egon Voss. Henle Music Folios. Pages: XII and 64, 2 Vc Parts = V and 56 each. Classical. G. Henle #HN666. Published by G. Henle (HL.51480666).

Bach 6 Suites: Starkweather

David Starkweather created a remarkable project with this printed edition and DVD. He also has a website, where he goes into more detail about the project and has an edition that you can download.

Practically speaking, I don't find myself drawn to his bowing and fingering choices, but that is entirely personal.

Worth checking out!

Printed book

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Six Suites for Violoncello Solo BWV 1007-1012. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Arranged by David Starkweather. Solo part. Published by Latham Music Enterprises (LA.730476).

DVD performance

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Six Suites for Violoncello Solo - 3-DVD Set BWV 1007-1012. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Arranged by David Starkweather. DVD. Published by Latham Music Enterprises (LA.730150).

Bach 6 Suites: Rubart

Slightly smaller on the page than some of the other editions, this is one of the "urtext" editions that follows the manuscripts as closely as possible. This edition doesn't have any fingerings at all, making it less practical than the Barenreiter for everyday use.

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Six Suites BWV 1007-1012 Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Edited by Rubardt. This edition: Urtext. Sheet Music. Edition Peters #EP9054. Published by Edition Peters (PE.EP9054).

Bach 6 Suites: Pratt

This edition is based almost entirely on the Anna Magdalena Bach manuscript and is slightly less than practical in several places as a result. For instance, I would not play one separate, three slurred at the beginning of the First Suite's Prelude. But this edition is easy to read and worth owning just because of that.

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Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). String music. Published by Stainer & Bell Ltd. (ST.R7663).

Bach 6 Suites: Gaillard

I used to use this edition all the time, mostly because it was inexpensive and readily available. However, since I was changing most of the bowings and many of the fingerings, it became much less practical to recommend than, say, the Barenreiter edition listed above.

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6 Suites Cello Solo. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Edited by F Gaillard. Arranged by Fritz Gaillard. String Solo. Baroque. Cello solo songbook. With standard notation, performance notes and introductory text. 53 pages. G. Schirmer #LB1565. Published by G. Schirmer (HL.50260150).

Bach 6 Suites: Casals/Foley/Soyer

I have a printed edition of this version, which is quite unique! Madeleine Foley and David Soyer wrote down, above and below the notes, the teachings and musings that Pablo Casals gave on the Bach Suites. Ovation Press has made these available and they are essential purchases for cello teachers. Even if you disagree with his approach, this incredible edition is a window into the soul of the cellist who championed these Suites as performance material and is largely responsible for their fame and ubiquity today.

Bach 6 Suites: du Pre

Edited by Jacqueline Du Pre, this edition has longer slurs in many movements than in manuscript-based editions but it is interesting to have a window into her bowing preferences and fingering ideas.

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6 Suites for Solo Violoncello Composed by Johan Sebastian Bach. Edited by Jacqueline Du Pre. Music Sales America. Classical. 52 pages. Edition Wilhelm Hansen #WH29613. Published by Edition Wilhelm Hansen (HL.14003105).

Bach 6 Suites: Banda

A handsome edition, this is nevertheless printed on very fine paper, making it not as practical as some. Slightly old-fashioned bowings in some places, with longer slurs than in editions that rigorously follow the manuscripts, this edition has some good ideas for fingering and bowing and is well laid out.

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Six Suites, BWV 1007-1012 Composed by Johan Sebastian Bach. Arranged by Ede Banda. EMB. Published by Editio Musica Budapest (HS.50510830).

Bach 6 Suites: Tortelier

Although it isn't listed in the product description, this edition is by the great and completely unique cellist Paul Tortelier. Somewhat similar to the Casals edition in that it contains many specifics of interpretation, this version actually has a shorthand for indicating phrasing all through the Suites! More a study edition than a practical edition, this is nonetheless precious cello history.

There is quite a bit of video material of Tortelier on YouTube including this: Tortelier playing the Bach Prelude to Suite No. 1 A true artist, worth viewing!

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Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). String music. Published by Stainer & Bell Ltd. (ST.H200).

Bach 6 Suites: Starker

You know, Jan Starker. This edition, edited by Janos Starker, presents his own ideas for fingerings and bowings is version of the Suites is an interesting window into Starker's playing and interpretation. They should not, however, be assumed to be resembling the Urtext; Starker takes some liberties with the actual notes in, for example, the Sarabande of the 6th Suite, where notes that are too hard to reach miraculously don't appear on the page.

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6 Suites For Cello. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Edited by Jan Starker. Peermusic Classical. Classical. 56 pages. Peermusic #61132-623. Published by Peermusic (HL.228132).

Bach 6 Suites: Mainardi

A rather idiosyncratic edition that presents Mainardi's own fingerings and bowings, specifically chosen to indicate a "linear counterpoint". There is a separate smaller line below every line of the Suites indicating the analysis. Better for study than performance, simply because of lack of readability.

Check out a preview of the edition here:
Notafina.de

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Six Suites for violoncello solo BWV 1007-1012 Analysis, Fingering and Bowing by Enrico Mainardi. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Edited by Enrico Mainardi. Arranged by Enrico Mainardi. This edition: Paperback/Soft Cover. Sheet music. Schott. Classical. 2999. 90 pages. Schott Music #ED 2999. Published by Schott Music (HL.49004024).

Bach 6 Suites: Malkin

A rather old-fashioned edition compared to some of the others, this gives us an idea of how the Suites used to be played. The Prelude to the Fourth Suite is bowed "one note separate, eight notes slurred, eight notes slurred, eight notes slurred, etc." So, yeah, not super practical.

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Six Suites Sonatas for Violoncello Solo. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Arranged by Joseph Malkin. Classical. Solo part. With Standard notation. 48 pages. Carl Fischer #L000841. Published by Carl Fischer (CF.L841).

Bach 6 Suites: Fournier

Although I am not personally a fan of Fournier's bowings in this edition, it is a worthwhile edition for comparing and getting ideas. The notes are rather small on the page as well.

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Six Suites, BWV 1007-1012 Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Edited by Pierre Fournier. Published by International Music Company (IM.3125).

Bach 6 Suites: Study Scores

I own this and love referring to the various manuscripts when I am writing the Bach Study Books. Essential for anyone interested in seeing the disc

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6 Suites For Cello Solo Music Volume, Text Volume (English) and Facsimiles. Scholarly Critical Performing Edition. Urtext of the New Bach Edition. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Edited by Bettina Schwemer and Douglas Woodfull-Harris. This edition: Facsimile, Urtext edition. In a folder. Barenreiter Urtext. Sechs Suiten fur Violoncello. Baroque. Critical performing edition, critical text volume (analysis and performance notes) and facsimiles of source manuscripts (5 complete source editions). BWV 1007-1012. 327 pages. Baerenreiter Verlag #BA05216. Published by Baerenreiter Verlag (BA.BA05216).