# Best Bach cello suite edition/publisher to buy?



## dkrisner (Jan 13, 2015)

Hi! I'm a high school cellist looking for more opinions on what the best edition/publisher of the Bach cello suites to buy is. I have a copy of the Bach cello suites that is heavily edited, but I want an copy that is not edited more than necessary(knowing that there is no surviving original written by Bach). I was looking at the G. Henle publisher, but i don't know which edition I want to buy. Thanks for any responses, everything is appreciated!

P.S. I started this because i couldn't find any discussion on this topic, so if you know of any thread on this please send me that way.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

dkrisner said:


> Hi! I'm a high school cellist looking for more opinions on what the best edition/publisher of the Bach cello suites to buy is. I have a copy of the Bach cello suites that is heavily edited, but I want an copy that is not edited more than necessary(knowing that there is no surviving original written by Bach). I was looking at the G. Henle publisher, but i don't know which edition I want to buy. Thanks for any responses, everything is appreciated!
> 
> P.S. I started this because i couldn't find any discussion on this topic, so if you know of any thread on this please send me that way.


Is there no good shop in your neighbourhood or Library perhaps?


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## dkrisner (Jan 13, 2015)

Sadly, no. I don't live in a very "artsy" town


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

dkrisner said:


> Sadly, no. I don't live in a very "artsy" town


Perhaps this will help;

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...4&rh=n:283155,k:sheet+music+bach+cello+suites


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## dkrisner (Jan 13, 2015)

Thanks for the reply, but I'm looking for a urtext edition(or the closest thing that exists)


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

dkrisner said:


> Hi! I'm a high school cellist looking for more opinions on what the best edition/publisher of the Bach cello suites to buy is. I have a copy of the Bach cello suites that is heavily edited, but I want an copy that is not edited more than necessary(knowing that there is no surviving original written by Bach). I was looking at the G. Henle publisher, but i don't know which edition I want to buy. Thanks for any responses, everything is appreciated!
> 
> P.S. I started this because i couldn't find any discussion on this topic, so if you know of any thread on this please send me that way.


Hopefully someone who plays the music will respond to your question, I'm not a cellist. I would have thought that if you're serious Anner Bylsma's editions are essential.

http://www.bylsmafencing.com/index.html


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## dkrisner (Jan 13, 2015)

Thanks for the tip!


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

dkrisner said:


> Thanks for the tip!


The truth is that you're entering a minefield. People have edited and corrected the manuscripts because they think that the phrasing is unnatural for a cello. I don't believe there are any manuscripts by JSB. Bylsma thinks the phrasing works well, and that it reflects Bach's intention. I think (but I'm not totally sure) that some of his second recording, the one on the big deep Stradivarius cello, retains the phrasing in the manuscripts - if you find any more about this please let me know, I think the issue is interesting.


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

imslp is a good source of sheet music. Perhaps you'll find what you want there. There are several editions. I don't play the cello, so I don't know which edition is best (if best even exists)
http://imslp.org/wiki/6_Cello_Suites,_BWV_1007-1012_(Bach,_Johann_Sebastian)


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## dkrisner (Jan 13, 2015)

I remember a masterclass by Benjamin zander on the prelude in G major. I really agree with his interpretation, especially given the time period the cello suites were written.

Here is the link: 




From what i can remember most of the bowings this cellist uses are from Anna Magdalena Bachs manuscript, which is most likely the most accurate copy of Bachs manuscript.


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