Mini Analysis: Bach Cello Suite – Tempo
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 tempo choices made by each performer. Does the performers’ choice of tempo impact the overall character or mood of each version?
Each of these performers make different tempo choices, resulting in two different interpretations of this excerpt with contrasting expressive outcomes, as you can see in the table below.
| Performance by Yo Yo Ma (V1) | Performance by Sonia Wieder-Atherton (V2) |
| – steady, consistent, unchanging tempo – adagio (around 75bpm) – does not sound slow due to running semiquavers – character = relaxed, elegant and graceful | – much slower tempo than the Yo Yo Ma version – lento/largo (around 55bpm) – uses lots of rubato – character = calm, bleak and sombre |