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The Cello Suites: J. S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece |  | Author: Eric Siblin
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Category: Book
List Price: $24.00
Buy New: $14.50
as of 3/10/2010 00:58 CST details
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Seller: restonfriends
Rating:  17 reviews
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 336
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.3
ISBN: 0802119298
Dewey Decimal Number: 787.41858
EAN: 9780802119292
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| • | ISBN13: 9780802119292 | | • | Condition: NEW | | • | Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. |
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 17
 A good read April 21, 2009
tova
30 out of 31 found this review helpful
This book is a wonderfully crafted combination of biography, history, musicology, detective story and personal discovery. Like the Suites themselves, it has a variety of themes and moods which in the end all fit together in a most satisfying way to connect the stories of Bach, Casals and the writer's passion for the music.
It's neither a heavy tome nor a heavy read but it is nourishing entertainment
A wonderful voyage of musical and personal discovery January 3, 2010
S. McGee (New York, NY)
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
When Eric Siblin wandered into a classical musical recital one day in Toronto, he was unaware that the music he would here would transform his life. On the program were the solo suites for cello by Johann Sebastian Bach, and Siblin, a onetime rock/pop music critic, is blown away by a kind of music he had never heard before, consciously, and might never have deliberately sought out.
This book, the chronicle of series of musical and personal journeys of discovery revolving around the Bach cello suites, is the result. It immediately appealed to me because of my own love for the music -- although unlike Siblin, I'm not a musician of any kind and unlike him, 'classical' music has always been a part of my life. But I kept reading because of my own fascination with Siblin's tale and the way he has chosen to tell it: weaving together three separate strands of a narrative in much the same way that Bach might have woven together musical themes to produce the final work. The first of these strands revolves around Bach himself; the composer's background and how the history of his compositions can be tied to his own life and experiences in a variety of German princely courts of the 18th century. The second is the lifelong love affair between the 13-year-old Pablo Casals (a future superstar cellist), who stumbled across the then almost-unknown cello suites in the back streets of Barcelona, and the music that have ended up becoming some of Bach's best-known and most-loved works. (Without Casals, the suites could have languished in obscurity, rarely played; now they are a part of the cello repertoire that most cellists aspire to perform.) Finally, there is Siblin's own quest to discover more about both Bach and Casals, as part of the process of coming to grips with his own unexpected fascination with the music.
I fell in love with this book both for the caliber of the writing (which is very high indeed) as well as the subject matter. Because Siblin doesn't stick rigidly to discussing Bach and the cello suites themselves, he doesn't get bogged down in the kind of musicological detail that would lose him part of his audience (me amongst them, despite my love for this music, of which I possess three different interpretations...) What appealed to me most is that it's the kind of book that at its heart addresses the enduring impact of great art of any kind has to fascinate its audience, whether those that seek it out (as I did) or stumble upon it (as Siblin did.) At its heart, this is the story of how a piece of music can endure over the centuries and appeal to very different people in wildly different countries and time periods, in contexts its composer couldn't even have imagined.
Definitely an early contender for my favorite book of 2010.... and highly recommended to anyone with even a passing interest in classical music or the arts. And you'll enjoy it twice as much if you listen to each section (the book is broken into sections and movements that mirror those of the cello suites) alongside the music itself.
History of how the Cello Suites were composed, discovered and performed January 7, 2010
David Rosner (New York, USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Eric Siblin explores the history of how each of the six Bach Cello was first composed, discovered or performed. To accomplish this task, the author goes back and forth between the lives of Johann Sebastian Bach and Pablo Casals, the 20th century Catalan cellist who first performed, recorded and popularized the suites. Siblin paints a very compelling picture of life in both Baroque Germany and 20th century Spain and interweaves the history of music with the tumultuous events that defined both time periods. For that reason alone, this book is worth reading.
For a cellist, musicologist or a person interested in music history this book is a masterpiece. It is easy to read and difficult to put down making it ideal either for someone just starting to learn about the history of western classical music or someone well-versed in the subject. It goes into alot of detail about the history and composition of each suite without ever seeming overly technical.
Perhaps most importantly, this book explores why the Bach Cello Suites became such importnt and well known reportiore for cellists today. Surprisingly, they were relatively unknown in their time and Bach left no clear date for their composition or instructions for how to perform them aside from typical Baroque techniques. The mystery surrounding their origin leaves plenty of room for interpretation on the parts of cellists who have come to know and love them which Siblin adroitly makes clear for the reader.
What a wonderful journey February 1, 2010
S. Peterson (Dallas, TX United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I found this book in a bookstore and started reading the first few pages. The narrative grabbed me immediately. I'm a cellist, and have learned a couple of the suites, and have always enjoyed the suites. This book finds a way to tell the story of three people and their journeys, and how the Suites intersect with their lives: Bach as the composer, Casals as the evangelist and performance standard-setter, and the author as a pop music writer with little knowledge of classical music, as he discovers the Suites, and experiences life-altering changes as a result of this discovery.
The book is thoroughly researched, and the book is full if wonderful details about Bach and Casals. The tone remains conversational throughout, making the book much more colorful and interesting than most books about classical music.
As a result of this book, I've been pulling out all of my recordings of the suites, hearing them in new ways, and comparing the different performances I have in my collection. The suites are truly great pieces of music, and The Cello Suites manages to build a narrative just as soulful and colorful as its subject.
Bravo! December 9, 2009
Susan
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
As a classical music neophyte, I was completely captivated by this book. Interwoven stories of Bach, Cassals and Siblin flowed like the music itself -- no mean feat. Mr. Siblin's tale will open new worlds to neophytes and deepen the knowledge of those already in the know in the most intriguing and pleasurable manner. I highly recommend this read.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 17
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