Prelude, for solo cello, viola, or violin, based on Bach's name

Jean-Pierre Vial composed this arrangement of the most popular prelude, from Bach's first suite for cello, using the pitches B A C H instead of the original ones. In order somehow to innovate, the arrangement is based on a ternary rhythm instead of the binary one in Bach's prelude.

Because cello, viola and violin tunings correspond, Jean-Pierre Vial usually transposes his compositions, scored for a solo instrument of the violin family, to all three instruments. In this particular composition, however, considering that cello and viola play the prelude in G, directly transposing for the violin would result in a piece in D. This would result in a prelude based on F E G Fis name (German notation).

In Germany, F E G Fis could designate Freie evangelische Gemeinde Fischbacherberg (Free protestant community of Fischbacherberg). Or, in Brazil, the acronym could designate Faculdade de Engenharia de Guaratinguetá – Fisica (Faculty of engineering of Guaratinguetá – Physics), or else you could choose your own acronym, too.

Fortunately, a violin can play the viola score as well. So, violinists can choose a prelude based on either name, B A C H or F E G Fis.

To listen to the prelude for cello in G (an MP3 clip), click here.

If you play the cello (or viola, or violin), you may download the corresponding score and perform it, on a non-profit basis, just for your pleasure. To download the (PDF) score for cello, click here. To download the (PDF) score for viola, click here.

As discussed earlier, violinists have two options. To download the score in G, based on B A C H's name, click here. To download the score in D, based on F E G Fis name, click here.

These scores are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License – NonCommercial – ShareAlike 3.0 France. For any use of this work not covered by this license, you must obtain the permission from SACEM (www.sacem.fr/en).