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The Cello Suites

A pop-music journalist falls in love with Bach鈥檚 Cello Suites and sets out to discover all he can about the classic masterpiece.

Johann Sebastian Bach鈥檚 Cello Suites is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. While some readers may not immediately recognize the title, they鈥檝e likely heard bits and pieces over the years. In popular culture, it鈥檚 been featured in films (鈥�Master and Commander,鈥� 鈥�The Pianist,鈥� 鈥淎utumn Sonata鈥�) and television (鈥淭he West Wing,鈥� a 2007 Gatorade commercial). The Sixth Cello Suite was also prominently on display during Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy鈥檚 funeral last summer.

Yet there鈥檚 more to the Cello Suites than meets the eye (and the ear). This piece has long been shrouded in mystery, due in large part to the disappearance of Bach鈥檚 original manuscript. A dusty French edition of the piece, discovered by chance in a Spanish music shop in 1890 by a 13-year-old prodigy, Pablo Casals, was kept under wraps for 12 years until he mastered every note. And there鈥檚 now some dispute as to whether the Six Cello Suites were actually written by the brilliant composer鈥檚 wife.

So where does Canadian journalist Eric Siblin, former pop-music critic for the Montreal Gazette, fit in? His introduction to Bach was an unusual one: He went to a concert in Toronto in 2000 by 鈥渁 cellist I鈥檇 never heard of play music I knew nothing about.鈥� The cellist was Boston鈥檚 Laurence Lesser, the piece was the Cello Suites, and Siblin was immediately hooked on the 鈥渦niquely captivating鈥� music. The Cello Suites: J.S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece details his journey through the strange, exciting, and rather perplexing world of a musical piece waiting to be discovered.

There are three stories running concurrently in 鈥淭he Cello Suites.鈥� The first story is an examination of Bach鈥檚 life and work. Admittedly, this is a difficult task, because 鈥渁side from Shakespeare, there is probably no other towering figure in modern art about whom we know so little.鈥� The second story is Casals鈥檚 career as a musician. As the book reveals, Casals 鈥渞einvented the cello鈥� and played to packed audiences 鈥� an impressive accomplishment, considering that before his arrival, 鈥渃ellists did not fill concert halls.鈥� The third story is Siblin鈥檚 growing relationship with this piece of music. He discusses everything from retracing Casals鈥檚 route to greatness in Spain to the author鈥檚 determination to play Bach on the cello, in order to bring him 鈥渃loser to the suites.鈥�

Interestingly, Siblin shaped his book about music into what could be described as a musical word symphony. There are six sections listed as (you guessed it) 鈥渟uites,鈥� and the chapters are structured like a musical piece, including preludes, sarabands and gigues. Bach鈥檚 musical legacy is the prelude to each chapter/suite, followed by discussions of Casals鈥檚 career and Siblin鈥檚 search of a Bach for the ages. Although the structure of 鈥淭he Cello Suites鈥� will make it difficult for some people to keep everything straight, most will appreciate the way that the ebbs and flows of the book match the piece itself.

That being said, Siblin hasn鈥檛 created a technical volume of musical history and theory that could be classified as (please forgive me 鈥� I can鈥檛 resist) 鈥渋nside cello.鈥� Rather, Siblin firmly believes 鈥淏ach is what you make of him鈥� 鈥� and his book represents just that.

For instance, the competing interpretations of the Cello Suites could be construed as paying homage to the composer鈥檚 genius. Casals鈥檚 refusal to play in countries that recognized Spain鈥檚 fascist government could be viewed as a way to keep his version of the Cello Suites with those who respected democracy and freedom. The recent revelation that Bach鈥檚 wife, Anna Magdalena, may have written the piece (Siblin supports the view that Casals鈥檚 discovery 鈥渨as based on Anna Magdalena鈥檚 manuscript鈥�) only adds to the mystery of Bach. And the author鈥檚 book-long search for the missing original manuscript, which led him to daydream about a 鈥渉igh stakes auction at Sotheby鈥檚 in London鈥� with the piece鈥檚 true story 鈥渓aid bare with all the drama one could hope for,鈥� is the 鈥�Antiques Roadshow鈥� moment many of us would like to have.

No matter what the great composer means to readers, they will surely enjoy Siblin鈥檚 fun, fast-paced journey from pop-music scribbler to Bach aficionado. And who knows? Maybe it will entice more music lovers to join the search for the original manuscript and find a Bach they can truly call their own.
Michael Taube is a columnist and former speechwriter for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He can be reached at miketaube@yahoo.com.