Bach's Cello Suites and Physical Energy

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It was a good performance, but what I noticed—once again—was the physical exertion of the cellist. I first noticed this in an old 1962 recording by a Hungarian cellist named Janos Starker. Like the new recording, you can hear the cellist breath in between musical phrases, feel and hear them lunge into the musical passages, and you can feel the palpable physical energy required to bring this music to life.

Many people are bored by classical music and think it’s old and staid and conservative. And sometimes it is. Not so with the Bach cello suites.

It seems to me that some people equate Pete Townsend smashing his guitar on the stage floor or Sting leaping up into the air with the physical energy demanded in performance. that’s what rock audiences like. But it’s also just for effect, even though it’s exciting to watch and turns on the crowd. But it’s also good to see and know how energetic and exciting classical music, even on a lone solo instrument, can be.

So when you listen to a Starker or Rostropovich or Yo-Yo Ma recording of the Bach solo cello suites—always an amazing and joyous journey in sonic architecture—just listen for the breathing. It’s part of the musical heartbeat of these timeless masterpieces.

In this video, the talented young cellist discusses Bach and why musicians fall in love with Bach’s musical perfection. Also the evolution of the cello suites and their endless fascination