Performer

Sébastien Hurtaud, cello

Programme 

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)      

St Matthew Passion - Aria Erbarme Dich 

arranged by Sébastien Hurtaud

Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008

Prélude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Menuets, Gigue

Cello Suite No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011

Prélude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gavottes, Gigue

Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV  1012

Prélude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gavottes, Gigue

Flute Sarabande from Partita in A minor, BWV 1013, arranged by Sébastien Hurtaud,

Violin Partita No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006, arranged by Sébastien Hurtaud

Programme Notes

Cellists consider the six Bach suites to be their "Bible" and I have been performing them in concert for as long as I can remember. I won the Bach Prize at the prestigious International Adam cello competition in New Zealand. I wanted to give an original and expanded framework to these six Bach suites by proposing a 7th cello suite drawn from my inspiration.

It does not exist, it is an imaginary suite in which I propose several arrangements for cello, in particular the partita BWV 997 for lute, certain preludes of the well-tempered keyboard, the Goldberg Variations, the Aria from the passion according to St Matthew, Erbarme Dich, the Sarabande of the suite for solo flute and finally Partita No. 3 for violin.

This proposal, which offers a 3-hour programme, has been  articulated in two concerts on two days during the Valletta International Baroque Festival.

This 7th suite will be an "ethereal" opening that will allow the audience to hear the suites from another angle, another colour in a non-traditional programming with which the 6 suites are presented during this festival.