Ecrite par Madame Bachen. Son Espouse: Anna Magdalena, Sexism, and the Cello Suites

In the year 1890, Pablo Casals found a tattered, neglected score housed in a Barcelona music store: J.S. Bach\u27s six cello suites. For nearly a decade, Casals dedicated himself to the mastery of the suites, often debating his interpretation of the music. Just as Casals struggled with the pieces, scholars have debated multiple components such as notes, articulation, and bowings. Recently, Martin Jarvis posed a new question: did Bach write his cello suites or did his wife? In Jarvis\u27s opinion, it is Anna Magdalena Bach who wrote the cello suites. Comparing the cello suites with his other solo works, the score is littered with more notes and markings on the pages than the latter. This difference of complexity, along with the fact that Bach\u27s autographed copy of the suites is lost, is the main argument that Jarvis uses to prove his contention. In my paper, I examine the validity of Jarvis\u27s arguments and bolster his claims by exploring the cultural context surrounding Bach and Magdalena. Based on the research of Jarvis linking Magdalena to the suites, analysis of the musical oddities, and Magdalena\u27s life in relation to J.S. Bach\u27s life, I contend that Magdalena in fact composed the cello suites. I explore the role of sexism surrounding her place in history that has kept many from recognizing her true authorship. My paper intends to strengthen Jarvis\u27s argument as well as place the scholarly world one step closer to concluding which Bach is the true composer of the cello suites