Hi Phil. I just want to thank you for the huge inspiration I've drawn from your Bach project. I've played mandolin for many years, and mandocello, too. But having never learned to read, it kind of never occurred to me that I could play the beloved Cello Suites myself, in spite of listening to them for nearly 40 years. My dad sent this video to me in November, and somehow it all clicked. 8 weeks later, aging synapses and arthritic fingers have conspired to make even the first Prelude a huge undertaking, but I'm doing it, and it's an absolutely wonderful feeling! I dare say I wouldn't have made the leap without you, so I can't thank you enough. I clearly won't learn one piece a week, but I'll keep chewing away, at least an hour a day, through thick and thin. Many thanks for lighting the way!
Hi Jesse. Your comment resounded with me. Like you I undertook Bach on the mandolin late in life. To make the move from bluegrass was indeed an undertaking. But it can be done. Both the fingers and the brain needed the lubricant of determination. Many days it was one bar at a time. I live remotely in the mountains of British Columbia and, accompanied by my faithful and beautiful chocolate Labrador (RIP) we’d take long walks daily through the snow and I could contemplate the ‘bar of the day’. Good luck and all the best.
I've played quite a few of these over the years. I know what's involved in completing this project. Give yourself a pat on the back; you've a lot to be proud of.
I've just randomly passed by this video late at night, and I'm completely stunned. I have to compliment you specifically on your rendition of the prelude in c minor, which I don't think I've heard performed with that perfect synthesis of restrained grandeur and intense emotionality since Pierre Fournier was in his heyday. Especially how the contrast between the french ouverture and the "fugue" (which is, by the way, masterfully artiulated dynamically to avoid the risk of turgid fugue performance) is achieved here is completely brilliant. Thank you for this, and congratulations on the achievement.
Your Allemandes are exquisite. Most people have no idea how hard it is to execute dynamics on a mandolin the way you do. It's like you're winning a world war there, all alone with nothing with which to defend yourself but a plectrum, it's OUTSTANDING. So much restraint; expert control.
As much as this project was a journey for your own advancement, thank you for this gift. The Cello Suites typically take me back to college, to the grandeur of traveling the world and hearing excellent musicians perform on a regular basis. But somehow your rendition brings me back home. Perhaps it's the mandolin's humble sound or how I associate it with Americana, but when I close my eyes, it feels like I could be walking in the door of home from a long absence and hear from a far-off den a grandfather or uncle (or brother-in-law ;) ) plucking away idly. My two favorite movements were 5.4 and 6.1. They felt like the dreariness of a too-long winter melting into the joy of spring cleaning and new, fresh, wild, LIFE. I admit I noticed them because they are the extremes of the suites, but they both made me stop my dishwashing and laundry folding and just watch, think, and smile.
First off, huge congrats to you for knocking out this enormous project! It was a joy to get to hear this all back to back… I had not yet heard it on any instrument in its entirety! It’s always exciting to see other mandolin players who enjoy reading classical music. Soli Dei Gloria!
Just discovered this while looking for inspiring mandolin music for fueling my own practice. I am new to the instrument (and playing music more generally), so impressed by your work and determination, thank you for sharing this beautiful compilation and completion. Soli Deo Gloria!
Took a chance on listening to this. I was surpised by how many movements are quite persuasive on the mandolin. Bach's genius, no doubt. Bravo on this magnificent undertaking. Have saved this to listen again. Soli deo gloria!
Hi phil i have no knoledge of notatation .i mean i understand it but not practiced ,i love classicle music an keep it as a back ground in my house as back ground at night ,an jaze during day here in salem oregon ,iam in my front yard among the high grass listening to you ,your amazing an appreciate your skill.will also listen to you more as i deliver fuel to servistations in portland or traffic ,so calming to me i play mandolin as a self plucker. thank you
I appreciate your kind words! If you’re interested, I’ve started turning these into formal albums. Volume 1 (First Suite and Second Suite) just released a bit over a week ago. It’s here on my TH-cam channel, on Spotify and basically every other streaming place, and for sale to own from iTunes, Amazon, and Qobuz. Hope it’s even more enjoyable!
As someone who has had this unbelievable music with him nearly all my life(and listened to just about every recording you can find, because with every recording comes new notes somehow(the mystery of Bach)) this was a wonderful experience. I play the mandolin as well as the cello, and this instrument brings a whole different approach to these suites. Wonderful job, and thank you.
I've tried to learn a few of these and I know how tough they are! To learn all of them and record them so beautifully is a huge accomplishment! Wow. Amazing work. I'll definitely listen to this many times.
I believe that this journey of yours has been an inspiration for many of us. Just by reading the title of your video, a feeling of devotion and self discipline popped immediately into my head. Let me thank you for this amazing work and congrats you for the many hours of works.
Outstandingly awesome! The time and dedication you put into this shines through. And your skill, your passion is truly awe inspiring! Thank you. And whether you know it or not, your contribution of this composition enriches the world. Again, thank you.
Qué hermoso!!! Me encanta!!! Estoy todo el tiempo intentando lograrlo en el cello! Pero tu versión con ese instrumento, es preciosa!! Gracias por compartir!! Saludos desde Argentina!!
Wow: I don't know how I missed posting this until now. I already know Prelude, Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor. I'm going to have to go through this entire list now and learn to play at least 5 more myself. This is absolutely excellent. Thank you for the huge effort this must have taken.
just got myself a lovely mandolin (guitar/bass/recorder player) and after tackling the Vivaldi mandolin concerti as a starter have moved on to the cello suites as a reading/fingering exercise. This is a brilliant resource. Well done and thank you!
nah, just a mandolin in general. I play violin, but won't have access to my violin for a while. Doing my mandolin research because I learned that it has the same sort of configuration in terms of strings and notes.
I played violin for a year before I found mandolin, and have played both side-by-side ever since. Minored in violin in college. The spacings are ALMOST exactly the same on mando (fret-isms shift things around a bit), and the left hand pressures are much different. The pick hand, though, is a completely different beast. Much learning ahead!
Phil what sound equipment are you using to record this? I know you have a better instrument than I play and your skills are way above mine but I love the way the notes ring out and float
Haha, it’s really low tech and low to middle quality. For sound, I have a Blue Microphones "Snowball iCE" USB microphone someone gave me for free. It's plugged into my laptop and I record the webcam video and audio in QuickTime Player. I have it sitting in one of my kid's baby chairs, sitting on top of a couple thick books to get the microphone closer to the mandolin during recording. (Thanks Shakespeare!) Later in the series, starting with Suite 5, Mvt 5, I got a new phone with good video (iPhone 12 Pro), as well as a reasonable source of sound recording, I use both the Snowball and the iPhone audio tracks in the final movie, which I make in the (free, included) iMovie app on my laptop. Sound mix for the last 8 movements was the Snowball microphone (raw mono audio), plus the phone (stereo microphones, but more distant from the instrument (provides some room "early reflections" natural reverb/ambience)), plus a duplicate of the phone audio with an iMovie reverb applied. Previous sound was Snowball raw mono audio, plus a duplicate of the Snowball audio track filtered and with reverb applied to give more aural space. I found out, after recording two movements with the new setup, that my phone records in a true 30 frames per second, but my laptop records in 29.97 frames per second (with the Snowball audio linked to that lower FPS), so I figured out how to do some shenanigans to get the phone and Snowball audio tracks to stay in sync through the whole track instead of drifting EVER SO SLOWLY apart. I didn't catch that for Suite 5, Mvts 5 and 6, so that's probably why the reverb gets more noticeable and the audio/video get out of sync the farther though those movements you watch.
So happy that you posted this! I have been playing the Suites on viola for years, but love the mandolin! You have done well! Sensitive phrasing, core tone, sparkling interpretation. A joy to listen to! Bravo.
You can do it! Take it one movement at a time, get it to a certain percentage of perfection (NOT 100%!), then go on to another movement. You might be surprised how smart your fingers get as you go!
TH-cam just put this in my recommendations. I'm surprised there aren't any recordings out there of the Suites on mandolin: Apple Music only turns up one recording--of the Prélude from the first Suite. Someone like Chris Thile (who's a Bach fan in addition to being a great mandolinist) should make a complete recording of the Suites: they sound wonderful on that instrument. I'm very slowly learning the Werner Icking violin transcription of the Suites, which is available on IMSLP (started the aforementioned Prélude in November '19--and I'm still working on it): it's a wonderful challenge. Kudos on completing this work!
Another mandolinist named Xavier Garci published a full audio recording shortly after I published my complete video, and he did a great job! Definitely more of a classical mandolin sound to it!
@@PhilWoodhull I'm just seeing your reply now: THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm listening to a few tracks on TH-cam as I write this and will definitely buy Garci's album today: it's delicious--and available in the iTunes Store.
Thank you! This is a wonderful resource for those learning these pieces, especially those using plucked instruments trying to navigate music very much tailored to bowed. I'm engrossed in the 1st suite and I love hearing different interpretations, mostly on cello (hell, YoYo Ma has about for recordings alone!), classical guitar reworkings mostly leave me underwhelmed; however artistic and tuneful they can't match the 5ths sound :) I know from seeing your previous uploads that this isn't your thing, but I'd love to hear your insights into playing these pieces. A sort of play-by-play of how you approach them. I'm thinking of Inbal Segev, but you needn't be so theory-heavy, more how you get Bach to sing through the mandolin. Fingerings especially (I already see quite a few differences to my way), but also tempo and dynamics. I admit it's a selfish request aimed at a niche audience, but a video like that would be really informative to the mandolin (-ola, -ocello) community. Also, I'm an avid whistler, and your first upload was impressive! Controlling the airflow in two places (larynx and lips) must take a bit of practice! You're probably aware of overtone singing, and likely Anna-Maria Hefele (the closest comparison to you, though I prefer the original Tuvan descent), have you given it a go? Really steep learning curve but once you get it you've got it. Sygyt and kargyraa come somewhat naturally after Khoomei, and the other styles are just plays on the basic three as far as I'm concerned. I reckon whistling is a much maligned art, these days only used for 'cowboy vibes' and yoghurt adverts in tandem with my nemesis the ukelele :P If you think, it's one of the very few natural musical expressions possible for humans, along with the voice and clapping. Keep it alive!
Darragh, thank you for the kind words! I think I may have already answered some of your question! This single video is a compilation of the 36 individual movements I recorded under the running title Johnny Bach Resolution X.Y (where X is the number of the Suite, and Y is the number of the movement). With each of those individual uploads, I included many recording/practice/interpretation notes inside the video descriptions. I would pop into those videos to see if that scratches some of the itch. Feel free to ask any particular questions in those videos, and I'll see if I can remember my thoughts from then! That said, I am expecting to receive a new mandolin in Sept 2022 (13 months from now), and I'm informally keeping up/reprogramming the Cello Suites to record them again, possibly in bigger blocks, almost certainly with a bit more accuracy, and definitely with better recording equipment. Perhaps when I get around to that, I can include some talking as to mandolin adaptation considerations, fingerings (I would NOT consider my fingerings a great standard... I'm sure there must be better rules to follow. I wrangled most of these songs to my will, but some were hanging on by a thread), tempos, and dynamics. I agree with your sentiment that 5th-tuned instruments really are necessary to make these pieces sing. Anyone who has internalized the sound of the Cello Suites played on cello probably has a bit of an instinctual feel for where different string crossings or natural arpeggios should be, and changing that is sort of the music version of the Uncanny Valley. Haha, yes, whistling is one of my less-appreciated hobbies. I remember my Russian violin teacher, maybe 20 years ago now, saying to me, "Why you are whistling? No more! You'll whistle away your money!" I was never quite sure exactly what that meant, but I got the idea. I haven't tried overtone singing... still trying to get humming/whistling a bit more listenable! :-D
As a collected work I’ve finished a little more than a quarter of the suites. I fully appreciate the work that’s gone into this! I’m curious as to how you feel about the sound of the mando you’re playing… were you not tempted to complete this project on a more “classically” inclined mandolin? Thank you for publishing this!
My goal was to stop waiting for the perfect environment and just use what I had, which included this mandolin, the $45 USB podcast mic, and old laptop selfie camera this was recorded with. Now I have a much better mandolin (since late 2021) which is still an F-style like this… but actually the F-style was designed for playing classical music in the early 1920s. I’m not interested in getting into the round-back instruments for myself.
I've been working on getting these all under my fingers lately (also on Mando) and this is a great inspiration for me too keep at it. Thanks for posting. Sounds beautiful.
This is beautiful, I'm learning suite 1 on acoustic guitar, and I can tell some areas I just am not familiar enough with the signature nor the original piece. That seems to be a big problem I have, that can probably be solved practicing with a click and listening to the original
I've been going through a similar journey. I am currently on the 4th but I am learning them down an octave on the Tenor Banjo. These suites are amazing therapy through the pandemic. Great job too by the way! I would love to hear you play either the violin or flute solo Bach works. What are your plans next?
Hey, thanks! I think short term, I’m going to get re-fluent on some of my old fiddle tunes, just to get some good pick practice in. Maybe I’ll post some of it too! The Bach violin stuff is great too, but so hard… the flute stuff is an interesting idea. Long term, I’m in the (long) process of getting a new mandolin. Probably have one by the end of next year. My biggest thought is to do a more refined version of the Cello Suites on the new instrument, probably with higher quality recording equipment too. But we’ll see!
Hi Phil. I just want to thank you for the huge inspiration I've drawn from your Bach project. I've played mandolin for many years, and mandocello, too. But having never learned to read, it kind of never occurred to me that I could play the beloved Cello Suites myself, in spite of listening to them for nearly 40 years. My dad sent this video to me in November, and somehow it all clicked. 8 weeks later, aging synapses and arthritic fingers have conspired to make even the first Prelude a huge undertaking, but I'm doing it, and it's an absolutely wonderful feeling! I dare say I wouldn't have made the leap without you, so I can't thank you enough. I clearly won't learn one piece a week, but I'll keep chewing away, at least an hour a day, through thick and thin. Many thanks for lighting the way!
This is such an encouragement to me… thank you! Press on, and keep being awesome!
Hi Jesse. Your comment resounded with me. Like you I undertook Bach on the mandolin late in life. To make the move from bluegrass was indeed an undertaking. But it can be done. Both the fingers and the brain needed the lubricant of determination. Many days it was one bar at a time. I live remotely in the mountains of British Columbia and, accompanied by my faithful and beautiful chocolate Labrador (RIP) we’d take long walks daily through the snow and I could contemplate the ‘bar of the day’. Good luck and all the best.
I've played quite a few of these over the years. I know what's involved in completing this project. Give yourself a pat on the back; you've a lot to be proud of.
Learning one of the pieces alone is a pretty substantial achievement. Knowing the whole work is a massive accomplishment.
Fantastic playing; such a demanding project and so beautifully done!
I've just randomly passed by this video late at night, and I'm completely stunned. I have to compliment you specifically on your rendition of the prelude in c minor, which I don't think I've heard performed with that perfect synthesis of restrained grandeur and intense emotionality since Pierre Fournier was in his heyday. Especially how the contrast between the french ouverture and the "fugue" (which is, by the way, masterfully artiulated dynamically to avoid the risk of turgid fugue performance) is achieved here is completely brilliant. Thank you for this, and congratulations on the achievement.
Your Allemandes are exquisite.
Most people have no idea how hard it is to execute dynamics on a mandolin the way you do. It's like you're winning a world war there, all alone with nothing with which to defend yourself but a plectrum, it's OUTSTANDING. So much restraint; expert control.
Ever watch Sierra Hull? 😉😆
This is such an underrated video. How come it only now was suggested to me. Hello, YT algorithm, what's wrong with you?
As much as this project was a journey for your own advancement, thank you for this gift. The Cello Suites typically take me back to college, to the grandeur of traveling the world and hearing excellent musicians perform on a regular basis. But somehow your rendition brings me back home. Perhaps it's the mandolin's humble sound or how I associate it with Americana, but when I close my eyes, it feels like I could be walking in the door of home from a long absence and hear from a far-off den a grandfather or uncle (or brother-in-law ;) ) plucking away idly.
My two favorite movements were 5.4 and 6.1. They felt like the dreariness of a too-long winter melting into the joy of spring cleaning and new, fresh, wild, LIFE. I admit I noticed them because they are the extremes of the suites, but they both made me stop my dishwashing and laundry folding and just watch, think, and smile.
Stumbled on this this morning. Thank you.
This needs way more views dude! Fantastic playing.
You moved me to tears, you totally get Bach🙏
First off, huge congrats to you for knocking out this enormous project!
It was a joy to get to hear this all back to back… I had not yet heard it on any instrument in its entirety!
It’s always exciting to see other mandolin players who enjoy reading classical music.
Soli Dei Gloria!
Just discovered this while looking for inspiring mandolin music for fueling my own practice. I am new to the instrument (and playing music more generally), so impressed by your work and determination, thank you for sharing this beautiful compilation and completion. Soli Deo Gloria!
Took a chance on listening to this. I was surpised by how many movements are quite persuasive on the mandolin. Bach's genius, no doubt. Bravo on this magnificent undertaking. Have saved this to listen again. Soli deo gloria!
i mean, credit to the player too! he did a great job playing very sensitively
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!! I think you might convert me to Bach
Hi phil i have no knoledge of notatation .i mean i understand it but not practiced ,i love classicle music an keep it as a back ground in my house as back ground at night ,an jaze during day here in salem oregon ,iam in my front yard among the high grass listening to you ,your amazing an appreciate your skill.will also listen to you more as i deliver fuel to servistations in portland or traffic ,so calming to me i play mandolin as a self plucker. thank you
I appreciate your kind words! If you’re interested, I’ve started turning these into formal albums. Volume 1 (First Suite and Second Suite) just released a bit over a week ago. It’s here on my TH-cam channel, on Spotify and basically every other streaming place, and for sale to own from iTunes, Amazon, and Qobuz. Hope it’s even more enjoyable!
Very impressive, Phil! I think you deserve more recognition for your hard work here.
Fantastic. Your work will inspire many, I believe.
As someone who has had this unbelievable music with him nearly all my life(and listened to just about every recording you can find, because with every recording comes new notes somehow(the mystery of Bach)) this was a wonderful experience. I play the mandolin as well as the cello, and this instrument brings a whole different approach to these suites. Wonderful job, and thank you.
Love mandolino, love Bach. Very good combo. Bravo veramente!
That was beautiful! Thank you Phil! ♥
I adore this. Definitely an amazing achievement, I need to get these down myself.
I've tried to learn a few of these and I know how tough they are! To learn all of them and record them so beautifully is a huge accomplishment! Wow. Amazing work. I'll definitely listen to this many times.
This is amazing man! You have inspired me to pick up my mandolin and learn some Bach!
Your dedication to this cello adaptation is impressive.
You sound really good !
Phil, thank you! Amazing!
a hero without a cape! bravo
Thank you for this. After spending a year on the prelude, with your video I'll move beyond and try to dive deeper. Inspirational.
Absolutely fantastic! Thanks, Phil, for this glorious music and great recording. And your hard work :-)
What an accomplishment.
Bravissimo maestro!
Bravo!
from Lisbon
I believe that this journey of yours has been an inspiration for many of us. Just by reading the title of your video, a feeling of devotion and self discipline popped immediately into my head. Let me thank you for this amazing work and congrats you for the many hours of works.
Outstandingly awesome! The time and dedication you put into this shines through. And your skill, your passion is truly awe inspiring! Thank you. And whether you know it or not, your contribution of this composition enriches the world. Again, thank you.
Had no idea Lance Armstrong played the mandolin so very beautifully!
😆
Thank you for your wonderful playing of these beautiful suites. So nice to have the modeling. I have learned the first but none of the others.
We love these Cello songs, thanks for sharing them on mandolin, nicely done 😊
Wonderful playing! I’m also working on the first cell suite right now. You are years ahead of me. 🙂
Wow this is such an achievement! Loved every second :)
Such a great mandolin sound! Дуже гарно, дякую!
Hello and good afternoon Mr. Woodhull! Thank you for the beautiful music to listen to while eating lunch!!
Best wishes from St. Louis MO!
Beautiful recordings
thnx phil - am working on some bach pieces - you inspire me
absolutely amazing!!
Qué hermoso!!! Me encanta!!! Estoy todo el tiempo intentando lograrlo en el cello! Pero tu versión con ese instrumento, es preciosa!! Gracias por compartir!! Saludos desde Argentina!!
This is so wonderful.
Thank you for this great sharing wonderful! Bless you!
I'm just learning to play mandolin and very much enjoy this way.
This is such an incredible achievement, congratulations and well done.
Sarabande with the harmonics was nice!! 👏
Bravo!
Wow: I don't know how I missed posting this until now. I already know Prelude, Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor. I'm going to have to go through this entire list now and learn to play at least 5 more myself. This is absolutely excellent. Thank you for the huge effort this must have taken.
Bravo!!!👏 👏👏
Stunning
Thank you Johnny for these magnificent Bach suites transposed to the mandolin. Strange is that the interpreter only has the first name, Johnny.
Wow. Extraordinary and hugely beautiful. Pablo Casals will never sound quite the same again.
Maravilloso
I love suite Cello Bach and you play very good
also, those pinch harmonics on the 5th sarabande are a great touch!
Beautiful
Tremendo sublime bellísimo
Bostin. Well done, Phil. This was a huge undertaking. Congratulations and kudos *doffs hat.
Maravilloso!!!!!!
Fabulous interpretation, thank you very much for sharing!!!
Very nice jam while cleaning the kitchen. Thank you!
A beauty! Well done!
Sublime!👍
Grand stuff
just got myself a lovely mandolin (guitar/bass/recorder player) and after tackling the Vivaldi mandolin concerti as a starter have moved on to the cello suites as a reading/fingering exercise. This is a brilliant resource. Well done and thank you!
Phil, I just discovered you today, this was awesome, thanks!!! New subscriber!
大好きです
Very well played .. great touch .. beautiful tone
Thank you man !
I have this under my favorites and listen to it often. Wonderful job and the recording sounds nice!
Excellent 🕊🌸🌸🌸💞🕊
Wonderful accomplishment. (I've only tackled a couple of these pieces but it's been a video I look for every time I start to think about one more.)
Legit. I am about to buy one of these
A mandolin in general, or a Flatiron Festival F like this one exactly? Congrats either way!
nah, just a mandolin in general. I play violin, but won't have access to my violin for a while. Doing my mandolin research because I learned that it has the same sort of configuration in terms of strings and notes.
I played violin for a year before I found mandolin, and have played both side-by-side ever since. Minored in violin in college. The spacings are ALMOST exactly the same on mando (fret-isms shift things around a bit), and the left hand pressures are much different. The pick hand, though, is a completely different beast. Much learning ahead!
Good job!
❤ amazing
Phil what sound equipment are you using to record this? I know you have a better instrument than I play and your skills are way above mine but I love the way the notes ring out and float
Haha, it’s really low tech and low to middle quality. For sound, I have a Blue Microphones "Snowball iCE" USB microphone someone gave me for free. It's plugged into my laptop and I record the webcam video and audio in QuickTime Player. I have it sitting in one of my kid's baby chairs, sitting on top of a couple thick books to get the microphone closer to the mandolin during recording. (Thanks Shakespeare!)
Later in the series, starting with Suite 5, Mvt 5, I got a new phone with good video (iPhone 12 Pro), as well as a reasonable source of sound recording, I use both the Snowball and the iPhone audio tracks in the final movie, which I make in the (free, included) iMovie app on my laptop.
Sound mix for the last 8 movements was the Snowball microphone (raw mono audio), plus the phone (stereo microphones, but more distant from the instrument (provides some room "early reflections" natural reverb/ambience)), plus a duplicate of the phone audio with an iMovie reverb applied.
Previous sound was Snowball raw mono audio, plus a duplicate of the Snowball audio track filtered and with reverb applied to give more aural space.
I found out, after recording two movements with the new setup, that my phone records in a true 30 frames per second, but my laptop records in 29.97 frames per second (with the Snowball audio linked to that lower FPS), so I figured out how to do some shenanigans to get the phone and Snowball audio tracks to stay in sync through the whole track instead of drifting EVER SO SLOWLY apart. I didn't catch that for Suite 5, Mvts 5 and 6, so that's probably why the reverb gets more noticeable and the audio/video get out of sync the farther though those movements you watch.
So happy that you posted this! I have been playing the Suites on viola for years, but love the mandolin! You have done well! Sensitive phrasing, core tone, sparkling interpretation. A joy to listen to! Bravo.
Very kind of you! Thank you so much!
Wonderful.
Amazing ❤
thank you so much for this incredible recording. I am practicing Bach's cello suite on mandolin for a while and could not do it, till now.
You can do it! Take it one movement at a time, get it to a certain percentage of perfection (NOT 100%!), then go on to another movement. You might be surprised how smart your fingers get as you go!
TH-cam just put this in my recommendations. I'm surprised there aren't any recordings out there of the Suites on mandolin: Apple Music only turns up one recording--of the Prélude from the first Suite. Someone like Chris Thile (who's a Bach fan in addition to being a great mandolinist) should make a complete recording of the Suites: they sound wonderful on that instrument. I'm very slowly learning the Werner Icking violin transcription of the Suites, which is available on IMSLP (started the aforementioned Prélude in November '19--and I'm still working on it): it's a wonderful challenge. Kudos on completing this work!
Another mandolinist named Xavier Garci published a full audio recording shortly after I published my complete video, and he did a great job! Definitely more of a classical mandolin sound to it!
@@PhilWoodhull I'm just seeing your reply now: THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm listening to a few tracks on TH-cam as I write this and will definitely buy Garci's album today: it's delicious--and available in the iTunes Store.
WOWEE mate! What a monumental undertaking. And it sounds great--I always love mandolin being used for classical music.
Thank you! This is a wonderful resource for those learning these pieces, especially those using plucked instruments trying to navigate music very much tailored to bowed. I'm engrossed in the 1st suite and I love hearing different interpretations, mostly on cello (hell, YoYo Ma has about for recordings alone!), classical guitar reworkings mostly leave me underwhelmed; however artistic and tuneful they can't match the 5ths sound :)
I know from seeing your previous uploads that this isn't your thing, but I'd love to hear your insights into playing these pieces. A sort of play-by-play of how you approach them. I'm thinking of Inbal Segev, but you needn't be so theory-heavy, more how you get Bach to sing through the mandolin. Fingerings especially (I already see quite a few differences to my way), but also tempo and dynamics. I admit it's a selfish request aimed at a niche audience, but a video like that would be really informative to the mandolin (-ola, -ocello) community.
Also, I'm an avid whistler, and your first upload was impressive! Controlling the airflow in two places (larynx and lips) must take a bit of practice! You're probably aware of overtone singing, and likely Anna-Maria Hefele (the closest comparison to you, though I prefer the original Tuvan descent), have you given it a go? Really steep learning curve but once you get it you've got it. Sygyt and kargyraa come somewhat naturally after Khoomei, and the other styles are just plays on the basic three as far as I'm concerned.
I reckon whistling is a much maligned art, these days only used for 'cowboy vibes' and yoghurt adverts in tandem with my nemesis the ukelele :P If you think, it's one of the very few natural musical expressions possible for humans, along with the voice and clapping. Keep it alive!
Darragh, thank you for the kind words!
I think I may have already answered some of your question! This single video is a compilation of the 36 individual movements I recorded under the running title Johnny Bach Resolution X.Y (where X is the number of the Suite, and Y is the number of the movement). With each of those individual uploads, I included many recording/practice/interpretation notes inside the video descriptions. I would pop into those videos to see if that scratches some of the itch. Feel free to ask any particular questions in those videos, and I'll see if I can remember my thoughts from then!
That said, I am expecting to receive a new mandolin in Sept 2022 (13 months from now), and I'm informally keeping up/reprogramming the Cello Suites to record them again, possibly in bigger blocks, almost certainly with a bit more accuracy, and definitely with better recording equipment. Perhaps when I get around to that, I can include some talking as to mandolin adaptation considerations, fingerings (I would NOT consider my fingerings a great standard... I'm sure there must be better rules to follow. I wrangled most of these songs to my will, but some were hanging on by a thread), tempos, and dynamics.
I agree with your sentiment that 5th-tuned instruments really are necessary to make these pieces sing. Anyone who has internalized the sound of the Cello Suites played on cello probably has a bit of an instinctual feel for where different string crossings or natural arpeggios should be, and changing that is sort of the music version of the Uncanny Valley.
Haha, yes, whistling is one of my less-appreciated hobbies. I remember my Russian violin teacher, maybe 20 years ago now, saying to me, "Why you are whistling? No more! You'll whistle away your money!" I was never quite sure exactly what that meant, but I got the idea. I haven't tried overtone singing... still trying to get humming/whistling a bit more listenable! :-D
Nice job! I think the reverb could be less, but I really like the interpretation. Respect for completing the project!
perfect study/coding/sleeping music too!
As a collected work I’ve finished a little more than a quarter of the suites. I fully appreciate the work that’s gone into this! I’m curious as to how you feel about the sound of the mando you’re playing… were you not tempted to complete this project on a more “classically” inclined mandolin? Thank you for publishing this!
My goal was to stop waiting for the perfect environment and just use what I had, which included this mandolin, the $45 USB podcast mic, and old laptop selfie camera this was recorded with. Now I have a much better mandolin (since late 2021) which is still an F-style like this… but actually the F-style was designed for playing classical music in the early 1920s. I’m not interested in getting into the round-back instruments for myself.
I've been working on getting these all under my fingers lately (also on Mando) and this is a great inspiration for me too keep at it. Thanks for posting. Sounds beautiful.
This is an awesome project. I am playing a few right along with you. Thanks
Simply superb! Cheers Jim
Wunderschön. Vielen Dank.
This is beautiful, I'm learning suite 1 on acoustic guitar, and I can tell some areas I just am not familiar enough with the signature nor the original piece. That seems to be a big problem I have, that can probably be solved practicing with a click and listening to the original
DAMN! Beautiful and so well played.
bagus sekali ! matur suksma
I've been going through a similar journey. I am currently on the 4th but I am learning them down an octave on the Tenor Banjo. These suites are amazing therapy through the pandemic. Great job too by the way! I would love to hear you play either the violin or flute solo Bach works. What are your plans next?
Hey, thanks! I think short term, I’m going to get re-fluent on some of my old fiddle tunes, just to get some good pick practice in. Maybe I’ll post some of it too! The Bach violin stuff is great too, but so hard… the flute stuff is an interesting idea. Long term, I’m in the (long) process of getting a new mandolin. Probably have one by the end of next year. My biggest thought is to do a more refined version of the Cello Suites on the new instrument, probably with higher quality recording equipment too. But we’ll see!
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Bravo! This is inspiring to see, I hope I can manage to play (much less memorize) even half of a cello suite one day!
Some amazing moments!
sounds beautiful
Bravo! Amazing!