Johann Sebastian Bach - Cello Suites for Viola (Marc Sabbah)

Information

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

• Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007
• Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009
• Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011
• Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008
• Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010
• Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012

Marc Sabbah, viola & arrangements

Date: 2026

Label: Prospero Classical

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Violist Marc Sabbah offers a distinctive interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s iconic Cello Suites by performing all six works on the viola. Embracing the flexibility of Baroque performance practice, Sabbah treats this transcription as a continuation of a living tradition, using the viola's warm, dark timbre to infuse the music with an added sense of intimacy and depth. Grounding his approach in the handwritten copy by Anna Magdalena Bach—a challenging source devoid of specific dynamics, tempos, or definitive articulation—Sabbah navigates the score's ambiguities to actively engage with the interpretive space, presenting the suites as living, deeply human music.

Born in New York City in 1988, Marc Sabbah is an internationally renowned viola soloist, chamber musician, educator, and conductor. A graduate of the Juilliard Pre-College Division and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Sabbah served as principal violist of the Belgian National Orchestra from 2012 to 2024 and began a professorship at the Royal Conservatory of Mons in 2017. Praised by Zubin Mehta and dubbed "The Paganini of viola" by Ivry Gitlis, he has performed concertos globally and appeared as guest principal for orchestras like the Israel Philharmonic. An active festival performer, chamber collaborator, and teacher, his extensive accolades include top prizes at the Manhattan and Amsterdam international competitions.