The Bach Suites, the Cassadó Suite and the Kodály Sonata represent different approaches to music for solo cello, connected by a thread of innovation and profound musical expression.
Bach laid the groundwork with his systematic exploration of suite form and the cello's ability to sustain multiple melodic lines simultaneously. Cassadó and Kodály, though separated by different national and aesthetic contexts, extended and transformed this legacy.
Cassadó, with his suite, pays homage to Bach while incorporating the colours and rhythms of his Spanish heritage, showing how musical traditions can be recontextualised in a modern idiom. Kodály, on the other hand, takes a more radical stance, using advanced techniques and Hungarian folk modes to expand the expressive possibilities of the cello.
Both 20th-century composers, though inspired by Bach, bring a unique perspective that reflects their own time and place, creating works that engage with the past while looking toward the future. Together, these works offer a fascinating overview of the evolution of solo cello music, from Baroque to modernism.
PROGRAM
J.S. BACH (1685-1750)
Suite III in C major BWV 1009
Prelude
German
Courante
Sarabande
Bourré I - II
Jig
G. CASSADÓ (1897-1966)
Suite for solo cello
Prelude – Fantasia
Sardana (Dance)
Intermezzo and final dance
Z. KODÁLY (1882-1967)
Sonata for solo cello in B minor, Op. 8
Allegro maestoso ma appassionato
Adagio with great expression
Allegro molto vivace
Zoltan Kodály / Sonata cello solo