15 Comments
May 3Liked by Evan Goldfine

The Allemande from Suite 6 is my favorite movement. So much emotion!

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So gorgeous! Unbelievable.

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Mar 28·edited Mar 28Liked by Evan Goldfine

Yes the random solo at the middle of an otherwise normal prelude in suite no. 6 is definitely something that always reminded me of the break at the middle of the song in Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin. One might ask if this random break and the successive solo is only a small residue of what was normal but never kept in record in these times: namely the heavy improvisation these people did. I think they would have laughed at the thought of going to a concert to listen to the same piece played with the same notes more than one times or so I have read. Bach was also very well known for his improvisations on organ. So my very humble opinion is that this heavy metal solo break is only one of the very few actual improvisations written down by Bach. There is also a similar thing happening with the harpsichord solo break at the middle of Brandemburg 5. I think they considered writing down a piece after it was performed a little of a waste of time and they would definitely not write down just another one of the million improvisations. Except in this case imagine listening to an organ improvisation by someone who wrote the Passacaglia BWV 582.

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Mar 28Liked by Evan Goldfine

As a heavy metal fan, I'm in full agreement that these suites are METAL! I was fortunate enough to see Yo Yo Ma perform these in a small, local church. Sublime.

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Mar 27Liked by Evan Goldfine

What a coincidence! I've been listening to this CD set over the last month or so. Great notes!!

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These suites are just magnificent. Perhaps my favorite Bach — the lone voice just speaks to me. (In the early days of the pandemic, this was the only music I could listen to.)

The Netherlands Bach Ensemble produced an incredible series of videos with each suite performed by a different cellist. Definitely check out the Sixth Suite — played on the five-stringed shoulder cello Bach may have had in mind for that final suite.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLecKPCyj4yROEWW268aqNqgeo0tiehjZf&si=NnzjNOwqf4yzN-yd

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Mar 26·edited Mar 26Liked by Evan Goldfine

Former ballerina here: curious which Tchaikovsky ballet you were humming?

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Mar 26Liked by Evan Goldfine

Thank you. This is a great argument for me buying this very soon.

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