J.S. Bach 6 Suites for Cello Solo István Várdai

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007:
• 1 I. Prélude 02:52
• 2 II. Allemande 04:16
• 3 III. Courante 02:53
• 4 IV. Sarabande 02:37
• 5 V. Menuet I & II 03:16
• 6 VI. Gigue 1 01:36
• Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009:
• 7 I. Prelude 03:52
• 8 II. Allemande 03:42
• 9 III. Courante 03:22
• 10 IV. Sarabande 04:00
• 11 V. Bourrée I & II 03:43
• 12 VI. Gigue 03:17
• Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011:
• 13 I. Prelude 06:49
• 14 II. Allemande 04:49
• 15 III. Courante 02:09
• 16 IV. Sarabande 03:52
• 17 V. Gavotte I & II 04:56
• 18 VI. Gigue 02:08
• Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008:
• 19 I. Prelude 04:02
• 20 II. Allemande 03:07
• 21 III. Courante 02:01
• 22 IV. Sarabande 04:19
• 23 V. Menuet I & II 02:49
• 24 VI. Gigue 02:33
• Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010:
• 25 I. Prelude 04:32
• 26 II. Allemande 04:21
• 27 III. Courante 03:40
• 28 IV. Sarabande 04:22
• 29 V. Bourrée I & II 04:55
• 30 VI. Gigue 02:43
• Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012:
• 31 I. Prelude 05:05
• 32 II. Allemande 08:18
• 33 III. Courante 03:58
• 34 IV. Sarabande 05:35
• 35 V. Gavotte I & II 03:52
• 36 VI. Gigue 04:12
• Total Runtime 02:18:33

Info for J.S. Bach 6 Suites for Cello Solo

In May 2014 the Hungarian cellist István Várdai performed three Bach Suites at an unusual venue in New York: not the storied glamour of Carnegie Hall or the hip 92st St Y, but the Board of Officers Room in the recently renovated Armory on Park Avenue, a room no less redolent of distinguished history: to which he made his own distinguished contribution according to the New York Times, with a recital which concluded with a ‘superb’ performance of the Sixth Suite.

Having just turned 30, Várdai has accumulated a string of impressive competition successes including first prize at the Geneva International competition and the prestigious ARD cello competition in Munich, as well as special prize at the Kronberg Academy’s annual competition. Now, therefore, is as good a time as any to put down his thoughts on every cellist’s Old Testament with his superb 1720 Montagnana instrument, which he also uses for the Sixth Suite, originally conceived by Bach for a five‐stringed instrument such as the viola da spalla or violoncello piccolo.

Istvan Vardai, cello

István Várdai
was born in Pécs, Hungary, in 1985. At the age of twelve he was admitted to László Mezö's class for "exceptionally gifted" musicians at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. In 2005 he moved to the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna to study with Reinhard Latzko. He also attended masterclasses given by Natalia Gutman, János Starker, Natalia Shakhovskaja, Gidon Kremer, Yuri Bashmet and András Schiff. In 2010 he was awarded the two-year Boris Pergamenschikow Scholarship at Kronberg Academy's Cello Masterclasses.

István Várdai has received prizes and awards at numerous international music competitions. He won the David Popper International Music Competition in Budapest three times (in 2000, 2003 and 2004). In 2006 he was awarded a special prize at the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuerman in Berlin as well as first prize in the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Pörtschach, Austria. In 2007 he was a laureate at the International Tchaikovsky Competition and in 2008 at the Geneva International Music Competition. István Várdai's debut CD, on which he plays Elgar's Cello Concerto, the Prokofiev Sonata and Janácek's Pohádka with the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève conducted by Simon Gaudenz, was released on the Nascor label in 2009. In 2010 he recorded the Cello Concerto in C major by Johann Baptist Vanhal with the Camerata Swiss and Howard Griffith and in 2013 several variations together with Walter Delahunt.

Since his debut concert in 1998 in The Hague, István Várdai has performed with numerous major orchestras. He has worked with conductors such as Ádám Fischer, Howard Griffith, Zoltán Kocsis, Josep Pons, Nicolás Pasquet, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Marcus Bosch, Roman Kofman and Simon Gaudenz. In 2010 he participated in Chamber Music Connects the World where he played chamber music with Gidon Kremer, Tatjana Grindenko, Yuri Bashmet and András Schiff. From 2010-2013 he studied as a Young Soloist at Kronberg Academy with Frans Helmerson. Since 2013 he has been a member of Kronberg Academy Masters' faculty as well as artistic director of the Emanuel Feuermann Konservatorium. Mr. Várdai plays a cello by J.Cuypers (1763) and a modern instrument by Carsten Hoffman.

Booklet for J.S. Bach 6 Suites for Cello Solo