Lost transcription - arrangement of J.S. Bach's cello suites for double bass by Tadeusz Pelczar
(Prelude - not arranged by Tadeusz Pelczar)
00:00 Allemande
04:47 Courante
08:59 Sarabande
13:36 Bourree I, II
18:50 Gigue
Few people know that in Poland in the 1970s, a collection of transcriptions of cello suites by J.S. Bach for double bass was created, being unique on a global scale. For many years they had been developed by Tadeusz Pelczar, the first double bass player of the National Philharmonic and a longtime professor at the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. The suites were published in 1971 by the PWM Edition and have been reissued twice.
With my project "Lost Transcription" , I want to introduce you to this amazing transcription.
Enjoy,
Tomasz Januchta
Funded within the scholarship of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland
Zrealizowano w ramach stypendium Ministra Kultury, Dziedzictwa Narodowego i Sportu
Partners:
Warsaw Philharmonic
PWM Edition (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
Henryk Wieniawski Music Society in Poznań
City of Poznan
The Municipal Zoological Garden in Warsaw
Pracownia Wschodnia
Cinematographer and editor: Grzegorz Mart
Sound engineer: Antoni Grzymała
tadeuszpelczar.com.pl/
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Gigue - an elephant is in the room!
I recorded the cello Suite No.3 transcribed for double bass by Tadeusz Pelczar at the the Municipal Zoological Garden in Warsaw. The very idea being pretty surreal, there are many reasons that made me do it.
The Municipal Zoological Garden in Warsaw is a modern institution responsible for the protection of endangered animal species, and its employees are people who first and foremost care for animals’ welfare. I’m the ZOO’s neighbour and regular. It’s important and crucial for my project to recognize that in the contemporary world subtle early music found itself in the position of an art genre going extinct. And that’s why recording this almost forgotten transcription of Bach’s piece has a truly symbolic meaning.
My sister, who’s a vet, told me animals like music. That was confirmed by the staff of the Zoological Garden, wonderful people who talked me into playing for the elephants. These creatures usually listen to recorded music, but this time they had the opportunity to listen to live double bass playing.
‘Listening to music mean a huge enrichment for the elephants. They have a taste for French, classical, popular and rock music. However, the louder and lower the tones, the better. If they enjoy a particular type of music, they move as close as possible to the loudspeaker, raise their ears, and are clearly interested in the sounds. If not, they can withdraw deeper into their boxes or walk away in their pen. Music can calm them down, or make them be ready to play. It all depends on its type and Buba, Fryderyk and Leon’s moods.’ says Patrycja Kasprzak from the Elephant and Rhino Section of the Municipal Zoological Garden in Warsaw.
It is no coincidence that the most famous piece of the chamber repertoire for double bass is called ‘The Elephant’ (written by Camille Saint-Saëns). Like every double bass player, I know it by heart. In the ZOO’s Elephant House, I recorded the Allemande and Gigue parts from Bach’s Suite No. 3.
And the Courante was recorded in a confined arena under the lions’ pavilion, which long ago was to be a room for taming these animals. Fortunately, this never came to be true. It remains empty as the construction mistake made it get flooded by some underground watercourses. Today, it’s a peaceful place for the turtles to spend the winter. We were captivated by the fantastic visual nature of the dark space, and I believe that the recording will be a feast for your eyes too.
Classical music earned its place in the history of the Warsaw ZOO, including the most tragic period of the capital. During World War II, Jan Żabiński, Director of the Garden, created a safe ZOO shelter for people wanted by the Gestapo, and for Jews who’d escaped from the ghetto. The signal to hide or leave the hideout through the underground tunnel were the sounds played by Antonina Żabińska on the piano in their Willa pod Zwariowaną Gwiazdą [the Crazy Star Villa], that is, where I’m recording Bourée I and II.
Last but not least, my dog Buba has been with me for a year in all the preparations for Bach's recordings. Whenever I start practicing, she’s there under my double bass, relaxingly stretched out.
I would like to thank all the workers of the Warsaw ZOO for their enthusiasm and help in making the recording. I’d like to express my gratitude to the staff and the animals in a form of a charity recital for the protection of endangered species, being sort of a ‘late fruit’ of my project. Hope you will hear more about this idea soon.
Translation - Dagmara Łata