Product Description

Although Johann Sebastian Bach did not write any music for the guitar, transcriptions of his unaccompanied string music and music for lute have long been a part of the guitar repertoire. Despite the respect that this music commands among musicians and audiences debate still exists as to what constitutes an appropriate means of transcribing, interpreting and performing this music on the guitar. It is this debate that prompted this long-awaited edition of Bach's unaccompanied cello suites by scholar and concert guitarists Stanley Yates. This definitive work includes performance scores, comparison scores and an invaluable 40-page guide entitled Arranging, Interpreting, and Performing the Music of J.S. Bach. Furthermore, the author offers comments on his arranging process and suggestions on using this edition including: ornamentation, slurs, fingerings, notation, and implementation of the comparison scores. Written in standard notation in guitar-friendly keys. The companion CD included contains Suites 1-3 only.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #981398 in Books
• Published on: 2002-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Spiral-bound
• 192 pages

About the Author
Stanley Yates enjoys an accomplished career as a virtuoso performer and recording artist, arranger, scholar, and teacher. Described as "one of an elite breed of guitarists" ( Classical Guitar Magazine, England), praised for his "musical instinct and brilliant technique" (Suonare, Italy), and noted for the "transcendent quality of his interpretation" (Fort Worth Star Telegram, USA), Stanley's performances, recordings and editions have been received with wide critical acclaim. A past prize-winning performer in such prestigious competitions as the Myra Hess (London) and the Guitar Foundation of America, Stanley is regularly invited to present concerts, masterclasses, and lectures at leading music schools and festivals in both the United States and Europe. He has been dedicatee and/or first performer of music by such leading guitar composers as Stepan Rak, John Duarte and Angelo Gilardino, and has given first modern performances of such rediscovered works as the Premier Concerto by Ernest Shand and the Valsa Concerto by Heitor Villa Lobos. His recordings for Reference Recordings, Heartdance Music and Aeolian Recordings include chamber music, his arrangements of the Bach Cello Suites, and premiere recordings of music by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, John Rutter, and other contemporary composers. His performance articles dealing with the music of such composers as J. S. Bach and Heitor Villa-Lobos have been published internationally, in six languages, in such journals as Il Fronimo, Gitarre & Laute, Gendai Guitar, 8 Sonoro, Soundboard and Classical Guitar. Stanley currently directs the guitar program at Austin Peay State University, home of Tennessee's Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts.

Customer Reviews

Not the best arrangements.
I like Stanley Yates. I think hes a fantastic player and educator. I really like the sections of the book that go into great detail about transcribing Bach for guitar. I also like how at the end of each suite there is a dual staff comparison of the original cello and guitar versions of all the pieces. The problem is none of them are in the original cello keys which to me defeats the purpose of a cello/guitar comparison score. Furthermore, Yate's key choices for these suites are kind of a cop out in my opinion. Cello suite #1 in C seems very weak and anyone thats every played or heard it in D Major would most likely agree thats the key for guitar. Also Yates version of Cello suite #3 in G Major rather than A major was a bad choice. Luckily I have arrangements in the latter keys for both which I prefer.

Also #6 is missing key bass voicings which you will miss if you've ever heard anyone else play it on guitar or better yet cello. All in all a good bargain and its hard to find all 6 suites for guitar much less in one book so you could do alot worse and certainly pay alot more if purchased separately.

Excellent adaptation of Bach masterpieces
This book is a terrific adaptation of the Bach unaccompanied cello suites for guitar, and is a great value. Author Steven Yates supplies a guitar arrangement of each suite, which is followed by the same suite represented in "pseudo-grand staff" (original cello line on top and adaptation in bottom staff) so one can reference how the guitar version derived from the original. The overlay is admittedly in very small type, but it is really an added bonus to get the original cello lines as well. The music is followed by a useful and interesting set of chapters with commentary on historical context, procedures for arranging such pieces for modern guitar, style, interpretation, etc. All in all, I can't think of what more you could want from a book of this nature. Highly recommended.