Bach's Six Cello Suites — A Simple Summary

Johann Sebastian Bach wrote six pieces called the Cello Suites about 300 years ago (around 1717–1723). Each suite is a small collection of dance-style movements for a single cello, and together they are some of the most famous music ever written for the instrument.

What is a suite?

A suite is like a tiny concert made of short dances. Each Bach cello suite usually has this order: Prelude (a free, opening piece), then Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, a pair of short dances (these change from suite to suite), and a Gigue at the end. Each movement has its own mood and rhythm.

Have Bach's original music sheets been found?

No. Bach's own handwriting of the cello suites (his original manuscript, or "autograph") has not survived. What we have are copies made by other people around his time. One important copy was made by Bach's second wife, Anna Magdalena Bach, and several other copies were made by students or musicians. Because we only have copies, there are small differences between versions — that is normal for music passed on by hand.

Who discovered the "forgotten" music?

The suites were not part of the public concert world for a long time and were played much less than other music. A Spanish cellist named Pablo Casals (1876–1973) found a copy of the suites in a second-hand shop in Barcelona as a young man in the late 1800s. He realized how beautiful they were, studied them carefully, and began performing them for audiences. Casals' performances and recordings made the suites extremely popular again, and cellists everywhere began learning them.

What does each suite represent (how do they feel)?

Bach did not give stories or pictures to the suites. Instead, each suite has its own character or mood — like different chapters in a book that are written in different colors. Here is a short, kid-friendly idea of the feeling of each one:

• Suite No. 1 in G major (BWV 1007) — Bright, open, and cheerful. The Prelude is famous and sounds like running light in the sunshine. This is a great one to start with.
• Suite No. 2 in D minor (BWV 1008) — More serious and a little mysterious. It can feel dramatic, with strong emotions.
• Suite No. 3 in C major (BWV 1009) — Big and noble, sometimes calm and majestic, like a peaceful walk in a wide field.
• Suite No. 4 in E-flat major (BWV 1010) — Elegant and graceful, with refined dance moments.
• Suite No. 5 in C minor (BWV 1011) — Intimate and sometimes restless; it explores higher sounds and special cello colors that feel delicate and expressive.
• Suite No. 6 in D major (BWV 1012) — Grand and complex. It often sounds the biggest and most adventurous. Scholars think Bach may have written it for a slightly different cello (with a wider range), which helps make it feel larger.

Remember: these are feelings you can hear — different cellists bring their own personality to the music, so recordings and performances can feel different even for the same suite.

Quick timeline

• c.1717–1723: Bach composes the six suites (probably while he worked in Kothen).
• No original autograph survives; we rely on copies (one by Anna Magdalena Bach and others).
• Late 1800s: Pablo Casals finds a copy and brings the suites back into public life.

How to listen like a pro (kid version)

1. Start with Suite No. 1 — the Prelude is easy to hear and very memorable.
2. Listen for the different dance names (Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue) and notice how the mood changes.
3. Try listening to a few different cellists — each plays with different speed and feeling, and that can change how the music sounds.

If you want, I can point you to one or two wonderful recordings or play short audio clips of each suite so you can hear the differences. Which would you like?