Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Cello Duo and Trio Arrangements, Exercises and Recordings

JS Bach -- Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring -- for Cello Duo and Cello Trio 

If you teach cello students like I do, and use the Suzuki books, chances are many of your students get excited to play Bach at the end of Book 1 and the beginning of Book 2.



A good Bach option is Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring, but If you’ve played an arrangement you’ll likely remember awkward shifts in G Major, overly-intricate rhythm notation, and a musical form just out of reach for beginning students. I couldn’t find an arrangement out there without these problems, so I made my own.

My duo and trio arrangements move Bach’s masterwork into C Major, the same key as his minuets in the Suzuki books. This does away with the awkward shifts, and showcases the cello’s most resonant key. I also simplified the form while retaining harmonic interest. 

The duo arrangement works great at a student recital, with a teacher accompanying on the second cello part. The trio arrangement is an excellent intro to chamber music for cello students.

Along with scores and parts, I’ve also included a series of Preparatory Exercises for students. These exercises isolate the C Major scale and all the diatonic arpeggios found in the piece. I’ve learned that students who first master the Preparatory Exercises prior to taking on the piece are much more successful! 

Finally, I’ve included audio recordings (mp3 and wav) of the Preparatory Exercises, stems for each of the three cello parts separately, and the full trio.

Please share the link for my arrangement with your students!

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