This is the full collection of Six Suites for Solo Cello by Ajibola Rivers. The suites feature Baroque counterpoint infused with dances such as the Cha-Cha-Chá, Highlife, Tango, Boogaloo, Blues, Bachata, Mambo, Merengue, Shuffle and “Swing Waltzes”.
Suite I: Written in G Major, the theme of Suite I is “The Welcoming” and through this suite, the composer is welcoming you to his collection. The Prelude draws inspiration from big band swing and feels like the start of a show. The other movements give an invitation into the cultures from which they are derived.
Suite II: Written in C Minor, the theme of Suite II is “Bitterness”. Much of the art that has come out of the African, Latin, and Native American communities is beautiful, positive, and optimistic. However, there are also stories and traumatic memories tied to frustrating periods in human history. Suite II provides a small commentary on the anger that festered during the worst of times and the tension that can boil over in an instant even in the best of times.
Suite III: Written in Eb Major, the theme of Suite III is “Celebration”. This suite is the most playful of the six. It is optimistic and energetic like the first suite, but instead of rolling out the welcome mat the third suite is passing around drinks, sharing laughs, and tearing up the dance floor at a party that has already started.
Suite IV: Written in A Minor, the theme of Suite IV is “Mourning”. It is the most serious suite, and with the exception of the Prelude the entire collection is fairly square and blunt. Its overall structure is as straightforward, transparent, and irrefutable as the tragedy that has repeatedly struck these underrepresented communities throughout history. The Prelude acknowledges the Native American part of the composer’s lineage and is the only movement in the entire collection that is unbound by the harmonic parameters of Baroque counterpoint.
Suite V: Written in Bb Minor, the theme of Suite V is “Investigation”. Generally, cellists encounter more sharp keys than flat keys and it is pretty rare for them to play music with this many flats. It is important, however, for modern cellists to be equipped with all the tools they need to succeed in the music world they live in, and the main purpose of this suite was to help accustom players to reading these notes and navigating the areas of the instrument in which those notes sit. Perhaps a side effect of the unusual key, this suite has an inquisitive quality that sets it apart from the others.
Suite VI: Written in D Major, the theme of Suite VI is “Pride”. Suite VI is designed to challenge players. For those who choose to play the sixth suite, they will find nearly all the techniques that appear in the preceding five. More than that, they will find an air of confidence that is unique to this suite. Every culture has its traditions, recipes, art forms, and other defining characteristics that help to establish a cultural identity. There are those things that make a group of people proud of who they are, and then there is the standalone nature of being proud people. That is the sentiment that drives Suite VI. It is the will to overcome adversity, the ability to walk with heads held high no matter the humiliation or inconvenience, the unshakable determination to dream of a better future.
Six Suites for Solo Cello - Suites 1-6
No returns – all sales final