The Brandenburg Duets Transcriptions were featured on KBFG FM Seattle’s Dress Rehearsal program! Listen now:
Episode 1 of Eleonor Bindman’s new series “Conversations Around The Piano” features cellist Dale Henderson, founder of Bach in the Subways. Eleonor and Dale talk about his global initiative, discuss J.S. Bach’s Cello Suites and compare the piano and cello sounds in a “duet” of the Sarabande from Cello Suite No. 5.
Pianist Magazine highlights Eleonor Bindman’s J.S. Bach Cello Suites for Solo Piano arrangements, saying it just “might be the ideal new project”!
Nothing makes Eleonor Bindman happier than receiving thank-you notes from amateur pianists.
“Watching my adult students struggle with difficult pieces revealed the need for a new kind of piano repertoire” – says the Latvian-American pianist and transcriber – the kind that helps people participate in music-making of the highest order without weeks of practice, tension or feelings of inadequacy. Her latest project, a piano transcription of J. S. Bach’s Cello Suites, accomplishes just that. And Bach lovers of all ages have expressed enthusiasm for this wonderful new set of piano music, some finally being able to play their favourite music well despite arthritis, others eager for quality warm-up and technique-building material, and many simply relishing a new Bach immersion which makes these stay-at-home times a lot more bearable.
The Pianodao blog names J.S. Bach Cello Suites for Solo Piano their Recording of the Month!
“I was intrigued to hear about New York-based pianist Eleonor Bindman’s latest project: the transcription, performance and recording of Bach’s Six Cello Suites for solo piano. … Arrangements have variously been made by Raff, Godowsky and Siloti, but as Bindman notes in her essay, these versions considerably embellish and add to Bach’s original design. Hers is a markedly different and radical approach… Despite preserving the predominantly single line of the original versions, the warmth of the piano sound and register rich in overtones (further blessed by subtly sustained resonance) reveals the harmonic architecture of the pieces with freshly polished coherence. … these transcriptions are not merely fascinating, but an equally expressive, exhilarating and rewarding listening experience. … Quite simply (and irrespective of the particular novelty factor here) this is Bach playing of the highest order. … Listening to Bindman’s recording, I was immediately struck by the mellifluous beauty and sensitivity of her renditions of these iconic cello works; that she has transcribed them so well and plays them with such assurance, grace and finesse makes this 2CD set an easy choice for my Recording of the Month.”
—Andrew Eales, Pianodao
See the full review on PianoDao.com
Eleonor Bindman spoke with Barry Lenson about her new J.S. Bach Cello Suite transcriptions and recordings on the Classical Archives blog:
Prepare to be surprised when you listen to the new 2-CD release of Eleonor Bindman playing her piano arrangements of Bach’s Cello Suites. Ms. Bindman’s arrangements faithfully include the notes you will find in the original Bach, but have become works that are new, unique, and completely satisfying on their own terms.
That is just one of the discoveries to be made in this new recording, which follows an earlier, excellent 2-CD recording, The Brandenburg Duets of four-hand transcriptions of the Bach Brandenburg Concertos that Ms. Bindman performed with fellow pianist Jenny Lin.
In nearly every way, the Cello Suite transcriptions feel very different from the Brandenburgs. How did that happen, and what was the thinking behind this new release? We spoke with Ms. Bindman, and here is what she had to say.
Classical Archives: What motivated you to transcribe and record these pieces?
All my transcriptions are motivated by the desire to play my favorite music on the piano. My first major piano transcription – Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain – was made because I just loved the orchestral piece and wanted to have more Mussorgsky to perform. Max Reger’s piano-4-hands version of the Brandenburgs has been on my music shelf for decades but proved too unwieldy when I tried to play them with my piano duet partner. So I made a new, playable one, thinking that a good arrangement would really enrich the piano-4-hands repertoire. The Cello Suites by nature are suitable for amateur pianists so this new set is also intended to provide more playable Bach for them.
See the interview on the ClassicalArchives.com blog!
The J.S. Bach Cello Suites for Solo Piano Score is now available to purchase as a download or a hard-copy print edition!
My new transcription of this beloved set shows a refreshing perspective to a pianist, unencumbered by counterpoint and zooming in on the individual line, patterns, tone quality, and the great composer’s vocabulary. I find the experience of playing the Suites on the keyboard not only aesthetically satisfying but also relaxing and joyful. We could all use an opportunity to enjoy our music-making without unnecessary stress, especially in current times. I am also eager to bring these 36 pieces to many pianists and students because they are immensely beneficial for working on tone and finger technique.
It is my pleasure to share The Cross-Eyed Pianist‘s preview of my October 9 release of J.S. Bach Cello Suites for Solo Piano in a piece titled, “Finding the ‘essence of Bach’: How a lifelong love of Bach led this pianist to transcribe the complete solo cello suites”:
“The Six Solo Cello Suites are some of the most celebrated and much-loved works in the classical repertoire, and they continue to fascinate and inspire performers and audiences alike. In this brand new transcription for solo piano, Eleonor Bindman pays tribute to this music’s enduring allure. … The transcription offers scope for some adventurous interpretation, particularly in the wonderfully playful pairs of Minuets, Bourrées and Gavottes. … Like the works included in her ‘Stepping Stones to Bach’, Eleonor has provided pianists with yet more repertoire to explore, and her elegantly, meticulous transcriptions shine a new light on this wonderful music while also remaining true to the original.”
—Frances Wilson, The Cross-Eyed Pianist
See the full review on crosseyedpianist.com!
The Naxos/Grand Piano label has set Eleonor Bindman’s J.S. Bach Cello Suites for Solo Piano recording’s release date for October 9, 2020!
The genius of J.S. Bach is recognised and revered by everyone who is musically educated. His output, studied by the greatest composers and the youngest apprentices alike, has been an inexhaustible source of inspiration, imitation and renewal. One common method of renewal is through transcription. As a matter of fact Bach himself regularly transcribed his own and other composers’ music and created different instrumental versions of the same piece. This transcribing practice has persisted and is still very much alive, as evidenced by many current recordings, including this one. Approaches can be as diverse as Bach’s body of work, depending on the form of the original composition, the designated instrumentation and the goal of the arranger. The resulting musical statement may be a faithful reproduction (my personal preference), a transformation beyond recognition or something in between. Regardless of the outcome, the original source is of such exceptional depth and appeal that for the past three centuries it attracted a steady stream of pilgrims, ready to sacrifice their time and energy for the joy of communion.
Eleonor Bindman joined the Violin Channel’s “Living Room Live” program:
My J.S. Bach Cello Suites transcriptions for Piano are complete and the recordings have officially been submitted to Naxos Records. I’m looking forward to the release in the fall, and stay tuned for liner notes. For now, here’s a first look at a proof of the cover art:
Pause. That word reminds me of a memorable lesson I learned from my last teacher, Mr. Feltsman. In Russian musical terminology, we use it (pronounced “pauza”) to denote a rest. I was playing some Rachmaninov for him one day at SUNY New Paltz where he still teaches. After a few measures of Moment musicaux Op. 14, No. 3, he stopped me and said: “The rests need to be more expressive. Try it again.” I decided not to ask for clarification – how could one explain making silence more expressive? – and played the beginning again, keeping my focus during the rests. He nodded: “That’s much better. The rests need to speak as profoundly as the notes.”
In spoken language or in music, a pause has an important role. It emphasizes the meaning of what was just conveyed by giving us some time to process, to catch up in case we were distracted. Public speakers know this well. It prolongs the emotional charge of a statement, letting it penetrate deeper in the silence. When a pause is long enough, it can also create anticipation, a state of greater receptivity and help sharpen our attention.
People are currently “on pause” in many parts of our planet. Those of us who are lucky to be healthy have to take a break from many habitual actions, especially if living in a city. Amid anxiety-provoking news, ”skyrocketing” numbers and red graphic lines, the only way to possibly control our own situation is to retreat inside and wait. How do we fill – and not kill – our time during this interval, this infinitely prolonged “snow day?” How can we bring meaning to this pause?
I just took a break from writing this, went out and jumped rope in front of my house for the first time in decades. A man with a dog walked by, listening to Brandenburg #2 on a small radio, believe it or not. When I came back in, a sculptor friend called to see how we are doing. He and his partner are the only people I know who still live without cell phones but since they now have to teach art classes online they are discovering the promotional potential of the internet. My teenage son, cut off from interaction with his buddies, put his amateur magician skills to use and finally started giving (online) lessons to kids. As I write this my daughter is working on a new soufflé pancake recipe. (Update: delicious!) My husband, unable to see his coach, discovered that he can play tennis against a wall in the park. Like spring flowers from a dirt patch, new possibilities can arise from our constraints.…
Earlier this week – on February 24th and 25th – I recorded my piano transcription of the Bach Cello Suites, to be released in the fall on the Naxos/Grand Piano label. It is the first faithful version of the complete 6 Suites for the piano to be found in recordings or published music. One wonders, with the immense popularity of these works and plenty of arrangements for violin and viola plus selections for bass clarinet, ukulele, trumpet, marimba, guitar and bass recorder among others, why haven’t pianists been able to enjoy this wonderful music yet? Had the value of playing something so gratifying yet so simple on the keyboard, of studying a score so perfectly crafted and yet so easily understood not occurred to anyone?
The Cello Suites project grew out of my Stepping Stones to Bach arrangements which were motivated by the desire to help more amateur pianists play Bach successfully. After sitting next to private students week after week while they struggled with 2-part Inventions, it occurred to me that what seems like easy Bach to me must be quite difficult for them. Bach’s keyboard pieces, even the easier ones, usually involve counterpoint (two voices of equal importance moving concurrently), and coordinating the intricate voices is a very specific and challenging blend of mental and kinetic functions. Bach intended them for pupils like his sons who had “natural” ability and were undaunted by counterpoint. After all, very few people learned to play the keyboard in Bach’s times unless they were to become musicians (or belonged to royal or very prominent families and owned an instrument.) My students don’t have Bach’s genes and are just learning to play for leisure, so I decided to simplify some of Bach’s greatest masterpieces for their enjoyment. Transcribing Cello Suite movements for the Stepping Stones books was a no-brainer and after playing them myself I realized that the music felt idiomatically very suited to the piano and the experience was wonderfully gratifying.
Alexander Siloti (1863-1945), an illustrious Russian pianist (and a first cousin of Rachmaninov), understood the value of the Cello Suites as potentially educational piano material a century ago. From 1883 to 1886 he was one of the favorite students of a certain superstar in Weimar…you guessed it, Franz Liszt. Inspired by the magnificent transcriptions and paraphrases of Liszt, Siloti eventually produced a collection of roughly 200 piano arrangements himself, a good percentage of which derived from Bach. As most virtuosos, he had very large hands and those transcriptions are technically ambitious – see this version of the Prelude from Cello Suite # 4 where each note is reproduced in double octaves. Yet the sublime and simple arrangement of Bach’s Prelude in B Minor from Clavier Büchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach is the one that stood the test of time (download it here). Here is a historic video of Emil Gilels playing it as an encore:
Finding Alexander Siloti’s “Four Studies after the Cello Suites of J.S. Bach” was the final “stamp of approval” I needed to put this project in motion. He chose the famous Prelude and the Courante from Suite #1 in G major, plus the Prelude and Bourrées from #3 in C Major and transformed them in the same way that I envisioned for the complete suites. The set was published by “Musica Obscura Editions” in 1914 under the heading “Transcriptions for the Young.” Siloti makes no changes or additions to the original score, except for amplifying the last few notes of the Preludes by adding a couple of octaves – you can’t take the Liszt out of a disciple…
