Ralph Sauer Bach Suites

[Dubby]

Does anyone have any experience with the arrangement of the Bach Cello Suites by Ralph Sauer? I am looking to perform some of the Suites in the Spring and am looking at various arrangements, as well as arrangements written for cello. Thanks

[TubaZac2012]

They're fantastic. I love them. A big thumbs up!

[proam]

This article:
http://www.rogerbobo.com/musical_articles/bach.shtml" target="_blank" target="_blank

says:

For tuba the tonality of all the suites has been changed in all but one, down a 4th; Suite #6, because of its higher tessitura, was changed down a major 6th. (The sixth suite was written for a five stringed cello making it the highest register of the sixsuites). These changes of tonality put all the suites in reasonable registers let the player think more of musicality than high chops!

[PaulMaybery]

I would not be concerned whether or not the music is transposed to a more realistic key for the tuba, or for that matter an F,CC,Eb or Bb. Relatively speaking, the suites do take advantage of the open strings C,G,D & A and placing the music in a key that similarly addresses the open partials of the tuba is certainly worth investigating. In the Baroque period it was not uncommon to play certain pieces on various instruments from what they were originally written. Reference can be made to Marin Marais, a famous French Baroque composer and viol virtuoso. His Premiers couplets (sic) des Folies d'Espagne from deuxième livre de pièces de viole for viola da gamba and figured bass are a good example of a work that he encourage to transpose and perform on various other instruments. So there is precedent. I concur, that these pieces are really about musicality more so than range.

[peter birch]

Since JSB himself recycled his music in different keys, for different instruments and voices for various purposes, it would be difficult to imagine him having any objections to Ralph Sauer's key changes to make the music playable, I have this edition, and really enjoy playing the suites. You look at a row of notes and think to yourself "whats the problem?" then you find out, and sometimes it gives up line by line, and sometimes there is a sense of achievement in getting just 2 bars together. Personally, I find the slow movements the most challenging.
Sauer quoted Pablo Casals in his foreword to his transcription, and the musical thought from Casals is that when asked why he still practiced his cello when he was 90, he replied "because I think I am still making progress"

[swillafew]

I spent years reading a trombone Arban and trombone Rochut; when I pick up the Bach, the decision to move octaves around (as needed) takes about a second.