Today – an all time favourite. I first came across this piece when I heard on it the West Wing (season 2 Episode 10 – Noel 20.12.2000), where it formed a powerful background to Josh Lyman’s unfolding diagnosis of PTSD. It has stayed with me ever since.
The six Cello Suites, BVW 1007-1012, are suites for unaccompanied cello by JS Bach. They are some of the most frequently performed and recognizable solo compositions ever written for cello. Bach most likely composed them during the period 1717–23. The suites were not widely known before the 1900s, and for a long time it was generally thought that the pieces were intended to be studies. Pablo Casals was the first person to bring them to the wider attention of the public with his recordings made between 1936-39.
Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist. Born in Paris, France to Chinese parents, he spent his schooling years in New York City, and was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from The Juilliard School and Harvard University, and has performed as a soloist with orchestras around the world. He won the 1985 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance for his album Six Unaccompanied Cello Suites.
As an extra for today, here is a version of Ravel’s Bolero created under lockdown by students of the Juilliard School past and present. You may recognise one or two of the faces.
