Bach - Cello Suite No. 6 in D major, BWV 1011 (PDF Sheet Music / Digital Download)

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cello Suite No. 6 in D major, BWV 1012, is the triumphant, sun-drenched crown jewel of the entire cycle. Originally composed for a five-stringed instrument—most likely a violoncello piccolo equipped with an additional high E string—it demands extraordinary virtuosity from modern cellists, who must scale the extreme, violin-like upper registers of a standard four-string cello. The Prelude erupts with a joyous, almost symphonic momentum, utilizing rapid-fire bow strokes and ringing bariolage effects (quickly alternating between a fingered note and an open string) to create a dazzling wall of sound. From its deeply expressive, highly ornamental Allemande to the rustic, bagpipe-inflected ecstasy of the final Gigue, this suite stands as Bach's most radiant and celebratory exploration of the instrument's expressive limits.

This edition is a reissue of music originally published by C.F. Peters, Leipzig.