More Bach and a Cuckoo!

Two videos again today! First up are the Bourreés from the Bach Cello Suite no. 4. Even though they are technically 2 separate movements, they are usually grouped together. The instruction in the score is to play the first Bourreé, then the second, and then go back and repeat the first. I have always been a little bothered by this particular set of dances because I think the second Bourreé is one of the most beautiful movements from all of the suites and it only lasts for a few seconds! I recently listened to a very interesting recording of the suites by a viola da gamba player named Paolo Pandolfo. In addition to re-voicing many of the chords to take better advantage of the 6 strings on his instrument, he also makes some…let’s say…bold interpretive choices. He came up with a pretty clever solution to my complaint about the second Bourreé being to short, which is to just repeat the movement many times in a row! I actually like it a lot when he plays it, but when I experimented with it I found that I was not quite satisfied with the results. I think there is a virtue to making a brief, simple statement, and then continuing on your way.

The second video is one of the sillier things I have ever made. On Instagram, people have been posting videos where they record themselves playing all of the different parts of a work meant for multiple people, and then editing the recordings together, effectively playing the ensemble with “yourselves.” I found a recording of a German Folk Song called Der Gutzgauch auf dem Zaune saß, or The Cuckoo Sits on a Fence. This is a bit of a special tune for violists because it is one of the melodies that Hindemith used in his viola concerto. I worked out the different vocal lines by ear and then wrote them out for viola, and then employed some pretty sophisticated video editing techniques! Look for my special effects credit in the next Star Wars movie!