J.S. Bach: Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord Nº 5 BWV 1018: Transcribed For Cello

Here is Bach‘s Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord Nº 5 BWV 1018 with the violin part now transcribed for the cello.

The original key of this sonata is F minor (with four flats). If we were to transpose it down by a fifth (as we often do with violin music) this would take us into the key of Bb minor with five flats. So we will certainly not be doing that!

MOVT I: (SLOW)

This is a truly magical, mystical, divine seven-and-a-half minutes of musical prayer. Because it lies in the violin’s lower register (the highest note is Bb in first position on the violin’s A-string) it actually lies very comfortably for the cello in the original key, simply transposed down an octave from the violin part. No notes or registers have been changed for the cello adaptation. The “Literal Transcription” always has all of Bach’s bowings and ornaments whereas the “Clean Version” has none of these. This original-key version is also our “Easier Version” because it consistently uses the Neck Region, only going above that region for four notes (up to Bb, one semitone above the A-string mid-harmonic).

Here below is a play-along audio of the accompaniment part, “played” on the guitar. If you download it then it can be played at different speeds:

We can also play this movement transposed into C minor which is the same transposition that we have used for the second and fourth movements and the same key that Bach used originally for the third movement. Because the original violin register is so low we will, exceptionally, raise the cello part up a fifth instead of going down a fourth (after taking it down an octave). This keeps it out of the hippopotamus register and brings us up into the cello’s more singing (but also more technically complex) register. In other words, in this key, we are playing only one fourth lower than the actual original violin notes. The accompaniment notes are sometimes taken down a fourth, and at other times raised up a fifth.

Here below is a play-along audio of the accompaniment part in C minor, “played” on the guitar . If you download it then it can be played at different speeds:

Both of these two keys fit perfectly well with the other movements.

MOVT II: ALLEGRO

In its original key of F minor, this movement lies too high to be comfortably played by a normal cellist. It has therefore been transposed here down a fourth into C minor. Fortunately, the preceding movement (Movt I), when played in the perfectly convenient register of the original key (F minor) finishes on a chord of C major. This means that there is no harmonic shock in the transition between these two movements. And, fortunately, the original key in which we play the following movement is also C minor, meaning that, once again, there is no sense of harmonic (key) shock in the transition between the second and third movements.

If we play the first movement in its transposed key of C minor then we are doing the same transposition as in this movement and thus keeping the same key relationship as Bach used.

Here below is a play-along audio of the accompaniment part, “played” on the guitar. Because the cello and accompaniment start together, a one-bar introduction has been added to enable us to know when to start. If you download it then it can be played at different speeds:

MOVT III: ADAGIO

For the cello (or violin), this movement is entirely in doublestops, which means that it can be used as very beautiful “study material” for working on this aspect of our technique. Just like the first movement, it can be played very comfortably in its original key of C minor in which its highest note is a Bb (also just like the first movement). No notes have been changed for the cello version and because Bach gave no bowing or articulation indications, the Literal and Clean Versions are identical. The only possible “Easier Version” would be a version for two cellos, each playing one line of the doublestops. This then becomes a VERY easy version, but how wonderful it is to be able to play such a beautiful piece while still in the early stages of learning to play the cello.

MOVT IV: VIVACE

This movement, just like the second movement, has been transposed down a fourth into the key of C minor, and for exactly the same reasons. Even though the third movement is not transposed, there is no “key-shock” in the transition between it and the fourth movement because both movements are now in the same key (C minor). Large sections of the keyboard accompaniment have been taken up a fifth rather than down a fourth. In bar 85 of the accompaniment, the second note of the treble voice has been raised one step.

Here below is a play-along audio of the accompaniment part, “played” on the guitar. Because the cello and accompaniment start together, a two-bar introduction has been added to enable us to know when to start. If you download it then it can be played at different speeds: