Bach Gigue Cello Suite No 5 - Georg Mertens performing on a beautiful ancient cello
To the cello used in this performance: Originally this instrument was made as a larger 3 stringed bass violin (before the name cello existed!) originally made c 1500-1600 in Austria or Bohemia, cut back between 1700-1750 to the size of our normal 4 string cello. I bought it in 1969. All my teacher didn't like it, because of its unusual dimensions, it "would wreck my technique"! Today it is set up with wound gut strings. I play it with a Baroque bow, Baroque tuning - a bit more than a semitone lower than our standard A. ---- If played in normal tuning - no scordatura - one can find in the Gigue surrounding the bar lines of bar 49 and 51 - 1.05 and 1.45 min - the theme "BACH" (in English terms: Bb A C B-natural) in the top part - I use the A string for the citation. Whatever the reason for the theme, it is purpose in this position, not accidental. In my opinion Bach used this theme planned, with the Sarabande as the centre piece, fading in the Gavotte and Gigue. There is more about the citation in the Bach Talk: The four B-A-C-H Citations in Cello Suite No 5 prior to the "Art of Fugue" - • The four B-A-C-H Citations in Cello Suite ... (This video has first been published on my patreon series "The Bach Cello Suites" - Lessons, Talks and Recordings: / georgcello , go to "collections") ---- For a recording of this Gigue played with standard tuning, modern bow see - / 108406335 For an insight into the complex history and interpretation of the Bach Cello Suites including the more than 80 editions see: http://www.georgcello.com/bachcellosu... Here Georg's recordings of the 6 Bach Cello Suites & the 7 Ricercar's by Gabrielli - • J.S. Bach - The 6 Suites for cello solo & ... ---- To Vibrato in Baroque Music: The Baroque composer Geminiani wrote (1752): "Use vibrato wherever you can, it sweetens the sound". Mozart's father Leopold distinguished already between slow and fast vibrato, increasing and decreasing the speed of vibrato (1750). ---- Georg is a performer / composer / teacher living in the Blue Mountains / Australia For my step by step online cello course in 6 Volumes or the Bach Cello Suites Project go to: / georgcello then go to "collections" / for sheet music go to "shop" website: http://www.georgcello.com youtube playlists: / @georgcello p.s. When I was 11 my father gave my for my birthday an LP of the 5th suite with Enrico Mainardi, which made me very excited about the suites (incidentally I received 10 years later a scholarship to a masterclass with Enrico Mainardi in1973). For my next birthday I received Mainardi's edition of the Cello Suites. A year later I performed this Gigue from Suite 5 in school and my teacher asked: there are a few mistakes, didn't your cello teacher tell? I said: He doesn't allow me to play this suite, he said Suites 4-6 are not for people like us, we can only play Suite 1 to 3!
