Thomas Jarry arranges Bach Cello Suites

Musicians can’t seem to get enough of arranging Bach’s music. The practice isn’t isolated to non-historical types either; even harpsichordists and baroque violinists have turned to playing Bach on instruments for which we have no surviving copy. This album caught my attention because of its cover, not my familiarity with Thomas Jarry. The material, of course, is Bach’s six suites for cello, but here realized on piano. Specifically, the artist’s own piano, a 1953 Gaveau concert grand, is vividly described in the liner notes, saved from oblivion. First and foremost, the sound of this instrument and the acoustic in which it’s captured is sublime. The illusion of his instrument in my room on my main hi-fi system is palpable. So, know up front, this is a great-sounding CD/recording.

The issue with arranging music written in basically one line (with ample double stops) is how to translate that onto a keyboard that is far more adept at playing harmonies at once. This is why I kept playing the recording after my initial investigation: the solutions Jarry chooses are pretty intelligent. My approach might have been to try and just realize the written notes with fuller chords at the end; instead, Jarry has taken to arrange each of the dances but not in a super-consistent way. Some are left to emphasize the line, while others he’s converted into legit keyboard pieces. Let your mind wander, and you may forget what this music is.

Suite No. 2 BWV 1008

Jarry’s interpretation of Suite No. 2 BWV 1008 opens with a prelude that emphasizes the original’s linear design on piano. His inventive use of sustain phrases the music not as if he were playing cello, but in a way that feels intelligent for the piano’s capabilities. The Allemande may be played faster here than most cellists might, but it doesn’t feel rushed on piano. The dance is dominated by the right hand, leading with the written theme, while the harmonic supports don’t feel artificial.

The Courante feels stylistically like a Bach invention, not in the purest sense, but both hands have independence, and more than the first two movements, this one settles in like a real piano work. Jarry uses dynamics to great effect. The Sarabande, my desert island pearl of the set, once again benefits from the sustaining capability of a piano. The piece is pushed in tempo faster than I’d play it, but then again, this is an arrangement, and I think his chosen tempo works for this medium. I am guessing his interpretation here will help many hear this movement anew.

There’s a lightness that is wholly appropriate for the pair of menuets. The independence earned by the left hand makes me smile. His touch on the piano screams anti-romantic in approach, which as an 80/20 HIPP enthusiast, I enjoyed. Again, the tempo is pushed here, but I had no problems envisioning someone dancing to this music. It really works well. The Gigue? Genius. What a nice arrangement. The bite from his piano when its keys are pressed hard cuts the texture, and here I really admired not only Jarry’s arrangement but his command as a pianist.

Suite No. 5 BWV 1011

In Suite No. 5 BWV 1011, the ornamentation used has a particularly baroque feel for a keyboard, as if perhaps we were listening to an arrangement of Rameau. But this isn’t a harpsichord; Jarry uses the sustain pedal (or in some cases, continually held notes) to allow the emergence of harmony in a way Bach couldn’t have conceived. It follows with a faster section that echoes Bach’s keyboard toccatas. I dare say Jarry may have improved this movement with his transcription.

The Allemande in this case is far more relaxed than the one from the second suite. Jarry’s liner notes, which I read after my first several listens, speak well to his thinking about how to interpret these works on piano. He acknowledges the desire to reference baroque keyboard works, such as Bach’s English and French suites. His treatment here works on the piano, in ways that might not on another historical instrument, for the way the harmonies are allowed to extend via sustained notes.

The Courante is very articulate, the way he nearly punches the notes in the right hand with good space between each works well. Dynamic contrasts are used to great effect without betraying the music’s style. The opening Gavotte comes across very differently; Jarry doesn’t “roll” the chords as has to be done on the cello. In so doing, the dance feels lighter.

The fifth suite’s Gigue differs strongly from the one in the second suite; emotionally, it is far more tender. The sentiment many cellists adopt is thrown away here. It comes across less successfully for me on the piano. That said, I admire Jarry for trying it this way. As the other movements took on new character through his treatment, this one probably deserved the treatment as well.

Suite No. 4 in E-flat BWV 1010

The opening of Suite No. 4 in E-flat BWV 1010 reminds me that it’s written by the same person who wrote the C major prelude from the Well-Tempered Clavier (BWV 846). Like many amateur pianists in the C major prelude, he’s not afraid of using the sustain pedal here. It may be a more romantic realization, but the approach works. The Allemande feels particularly dance-like and cheery. Jarry’s use of ornaments appropriate to baroque keyboard music elevates the approach. I found new love for this movement.

The Courante keeps the linear, single-voiced aspect of the original, making it feel different from the preceding track. The loss of hard attack in the minor section is a beautiful, intelligent touch. Unlike the Sarabande from the second suite, this one is taken slowly. The effect is like evolving ripples in water, ensuring we appreciate the simple but genius melodic material Bach provided. I can’t help but think of Monet’s water lilies when hearing this Sarabande.

The percussive quality of the piano is a different approach for the Bourées. He varies his articulation to keep the dance interesting. The second one, by way of Bach’s harmonies and how they are facilitated on the piano, sounds remarkably modern. Hearing the melody “higher up” in this Gigue ruins it a bit for me; this may be one of the movements I clearly prefer on the cello. However, Jarry does nothing to hide Bach’s genius in the evolving theme. There is some push and pull that varies the character here, making it fascinating to hear this piece in a new light.

Conclusion

At first glance, I did not have high expectations for this recording. An unfamiliar pianist trying to make Bach’s cello suites his own on the piano seemed likely to fail. But I was pleasantly surprised. Jarry is a master pianist, fully exploiting the delicious, rich sound of an instrument with a history. Props to the recording engineer who knows their craft. This album is rich with discovery. Praise goes to Jarry’s arrangements, perhaps only eclipsed by his fine playing.

In the end, we have a new envisioning of the Bach Cello Suites that fully satisfies. This is a remarkable achievement and deserves to be heard by all.