Cello Suite No. 1

At a glance

• What it isthe third movement of Cello Suite No. 1, a quick dance in triple time.
• Who, when, whythought to date from Bach's Köthen years, around 1720. His suites take allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue as their basic order.
• What to listen forwithin the constant running notes, the way high and low registers take turns.

Listen for

• The openingthe cello sets off with a figure that leaps upward. The pace is clearly quicker than in the Allemande.
• Two voicestouching high and low notes in turn, one cello sounds like two people trading lines.
• The endingboth halves close with the same rhythm, signalling that one round of the dance is complete.

When it was written

There were two kinds of courante. The French kind was an elegant dance that shifted its beat about; the Italian corrente was a dance that ran quickly. With its even notes running without pause, this movement is closer to the Italian kind. Bach gathered dances from several countries into one suite, like a small tour of Europe.

When the suites were written, Bach was serving Prince Leopold at the court of Köthen. The prince played instruments himself, and the court orchestra had skilled players. But there is no record of which cellist first played this music.