Bill Sallak

percussion • research • creation

Bill Sallak’s new edition of the Bach Cello Suites is an extraordinary contribution.”
— B. Michael Williams, Professor of Music, Winthrop University

• A new edition of the Bach Cello Suites, created specifically for marimba performance

• Suitable for performers from high school through professional levels

• Discusses interpretation, ornamentation options, discrepancies between source manuscripts, voiceleading issues, and performance choices made by leading cellists, guitarists, lutenists, and marimbists

• Clear design and efficient format for performance

• No tenor clef!

• Available in the store as a DRM-free PDF for maximum flexibility

I am very excited about this project. We really need a good critical edition like this. Although these works have become popular repertoire for marimba, interpreting and transcribing Bach can be a daunting challenge - especially for those who are doing it for the first time. One of the best aspects of this edition is that historic stylistic performance practice is considered with as much rigor as the idiomatic issues. This is great!
— Dr. Alison Shaw, Director of Percussion Studies, UW Oshkosh

Sample passage from BWV 1011, showing options for realizing ornaments

Sample passage from BWV 1008, showing discrepancies between source manuscripts

The performance practice in the music of J.S. Bach is a pervasive topic among many musicians. Ornamentation, tempi, as well as thoughts on phrasing and inflection are among the primary points on which performers can discuss (sometimes at great length) their autonomous views. After using Dr. Sallak’s book for the past year and half, I now have a definitive edition of Bach’s Cello Suites BWV 1007-1012 to use for my own performance and teaching. Sallak does a wonderful job of providing historical and performance details to the performer, so that he/she can make an informed decision about their own interpretation of these works. His explanations are precise, well-researched, and accompanied with clear notations. Sallak’s dedication to these works is obvious and this edition should be used by all marimbists wishing to perform J.S. Bach’s Cello Suites. Bravo Bill!
— Dr. Eric Willie, Director of Percussion Studies, UNC-Greensboro

For more thinking and writing about Bach and other things, check out the blog.

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