Mini Analysis: Bach Cello Suite – Articulation
Work: ‘Prelude from the 1st Solo Cello Suite in G Major’
Composers/Creators: Johann Sebastian Bach
Performers: Yo Yo Ma
Album: Yo-Yo Ma – Six Evolutions – Bach: Cello Suites (Sony, 2018)
Listen to this excerpt and describe the character or mood of this performance.
Work: ‘Prelude from the 1st Solo Cello Suite in G Major’
Composers/Creators: Johann Sebastian Bach
Performers: Sonia Wieder-Atherton
Album: Bach: Cello Suites Nos. 1 & 2 (MUSIQUE SWA, 2020)
Listen to this excerpt and describe the character or mood of this performance.
Is the character or mood of this second version the same or different from the first?
As you listen to both versions again consider the articulation choices made by each performer. Does the performers’ choice of articulation impact the overall character or mood of each version?
Each of these performers take a different approach to articulation, which creates a very specific character and mood, resulting in contrasting interpretations.
| Performance by Yo Yo Ma (V1) | Performance by Sonia Wieder-Atherton (V2) |
| – tenuto on first notes of phrases – clear but gentle attack and subtle decay – character = content & elegant | – articulation changes – slurs and detached – almost spiccato – lots of tenuto – character = playful & uplifting |