Versions of Bach's Cello Prelude

This guy, Stephen Anthony, has a very nice version for guitar on soundclick - you can hear it here. His tempo is quite quick, his phrasing is really nice. It makes my version sound ponderous, I think. I like the way the 3rd, 4th, and 5th notes of the first 4 measures are emphasized, and you almost don't hear the bass notes that introduce the phrase. I think this takes advantage of the bright tone of a classical guitar. He plays in D. Very nice Norbert Craft arrangement that adds some nice chord notes - very classical guitar'ish.

There are various cello versions on youtube. Yo-yo ma has a nice one here. His cello sounds wonderfully lush, slow, and careful. He makes sure that the bass notes are front and center. Very strong cello sound. His tempo is quicker than it sounds, about 75. He also varies the tempo quite a bit and I think it helps delineate the sections of the piece.

Michael Hedges has a nice youtube live version here. He also varies the tempo to dramatic effect. The harp guitar is useful for a few of the really low notes.

Update December, 2014 - I have a version on Youtube.

Cello Prelude in G on SoundClick

I posted my 12 string version on SoundClick here. No thumbpicks (yeah, my hands are getting better). An updated score with one more correction and some added fingering help is here.

Bach Preludes for 12-string

While my fingers heal and things slowly get back to normal, I've arranged a couple of pieces for 12-string guitar. They are both preludes by Johann Sebastian Bach, and in this case, they are preludes that consist primarily of arpeggiated chords.

Das Wohltemperierte Clavier I, Prelude 1 written by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) has a beautiful chord progression in C. You may also recognize it as the background to Ave Maria. My arrangement for 12 String Guitar takes few liberties with the original score at the Mutopia Project.