Pieces/ Johann Sebastian Bach/ Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor

Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor BWV 1008

cellobaroquesuite~22 minintermediate

The second of Bach's six suites for unaccompanied cello, set in D minor, lending it a darker and more introspective character than the first suite. The Prélude features a distinctive arpeggiated pattern that unfolds into complex polyphonic writing. The Sarabande is particularly austere and moving, while the closing Gigue provides rhythmic vitality.

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Write the first performer's note, a practice note on a specific passage, or an interpretive school you'd defend in front of colleagues.

Movements

I. Prélude

D minor · 4/4

II. Allemande

D minor · 4/4

III. Courante

D minor · 3/4

IV. Sarabande

D minor · 3/4

V. Menuet I & II

D minor · 3/4

VI. Gigue

D minor · 3/8
Editions

Bärenreiter

Bettina Schwemer & Douglas Woodfull-Harris · 2012

Scholarly edition with comprehensive critical commentary and facsimile comparison from all surviving sources.

Henle Verlag

Egon Voss · 2000

Critical Urtext based on Anna Magdalena Bach's manuscript copy. Clean text with minimal editorial intervention.

Wiener Urtext

Wolfgang Boettcher · 2004

Urtext with practical performance suggestions. Includes bowings that balance historical awareness with modern technique.

Recordings
Pedagogical arc

Prepare with

Natural next

External references