Johann Sebastian Bach’s (1685-1750) Six Unaccompanied Cello Suites (S. 1007-1012) are among the earliest popular works for a solo instrument in the European classical canon. Challenging to play and uplifting to hear, the suites’ sublime beauty is augmented over two nights by a perfect match of setting and soloist: the majestic nave of San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral and the masterful hands of cellist Lynn Harrell

In Harrell, one finds an ideal musician to present the beloved works. The soloist-educator-conductor possesses the technical faculty and the emotional insight to justly interpret all 36 movements. Raised in Manhattan and Dallas, Harrell studied at Julliard and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia before making his professional debut in 1961 with the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. He was the principal cellist for the Cleveland Orchestra from 1964 to 1971 and made his professional recital debut later that year.

Since then, he has performed and recorded extensively, including two Grammy-winning trio albums with pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy and violinist Itzhak Perlman. He is also an acclaimed educator, with tenures at heralded institutions like the Royal Academy London, University of Southern California and Rice University.

Lionel Salter described the structure of the suites in the 1988 liner notes for a historic Pablo Casals recording: “Each suite consists of a prelude followed by a sequence of stylized French dances...allemande; courante; sarabande; a pair of minuets (Suites 1 and 2), bourrées (Nos. 3 and 4) or gavottes (Nos. 5 and 6) and a gigue to conclude.

“However, the mood and even the form of these dances differs greatly from one suite to another,” he continued. “No. 1 optimistic, No. 2 tragic, No. 3 heroic, No. 4 grandiose, No. 5 tempestuous, and No. 6 bucolic.”

Close program notes

• Lynn Harrell, solo cello