Cello Suite No 5

Live Recording on May 23, 2019 Jaime Sabines Gutiérrez Theater. México. Cello: José Romero Ottonello (URU) Video: Mafer Casco (MEX) Audio: Paul Klang (USA) In this suite we’re told to retune the cello (called scordatura), specifically, to bring the pitch of our A string (the highest string on the instrument) down one whole step, to a G, giving us these open strings: G-D-G-C. This tuning causes the cello to vibrate and resonate quite differently from the way it does with the normal A-D-G-C setup; one can pretty easily detect the dark pureness this arrangement provides. In general, the scordatura tuning presents significant challenges to the performer – all notes played on the A string must be fingered one step higher than normal. In the score Bach handles this by notating each and every pitch played on the A string– now the “upper” G string - one step higher than the actual pitch, so that, when fingered on the retuned string, we hear the proper pitches. But this can be mighty confusing and disorienting to the performers’ trained ears! Prelude Fugue 02:30 Allemande 07:06 Courante 10:10 Sarabande 11:20 Gavottes 15:20 Gigue 18:32