Plucked Bach Alon Sariel

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750): Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011:
• 1 Bach: Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: I. Prélude (Arr. A. Sariel for Cremonese Mandolin) 06:03
• Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 (Arr. A. Sariel for Archlute):
• 2 Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 (Arr. A. Sariel for Archlute): I. Prélude 03:32
• 3 Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 (Arr. A. Sariel for Archlute): II. Allemande 05:31
• 4 Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 (Arr. A. Sariel for Archlute): III. Courante 03:25
• 5 Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 (Arr. A. Sariel for Archlute): IV. Sarabande 02:36
• 6 Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 (Arr. A. Sariel for Archlute): V. Menuetts I & II 03:52
• 7 Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 (Arr. A. Sariel for Archlute): VI. Gigue 01:55
• Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012:
• 8 Bach: Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: V. Gavottes I & II (Arr. A. Sariel for Baroque Guitar) 04:04
• Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008 (Arr. A. Sariel for Liuto Attiorbato):
• 9 Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008 (Arr. A. Sariel for Liuto Attiorbato): I. Prélude 04:18
• 10 Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008 (Arr. A. Sariel for Liuto Attiorbato): II. Allemande 04:04
• 11 Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008 (Arr. A. Sariel for Liuto Attiorbato): III. Courante 02:37
• 12 Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008 (Arr. A. Sariel for Liuto Attiorbato): IV. Sarabande 04:03
• 13 Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008 (Arr. A. Sariel for Liuto Attiorbato): V. Menuetts I & II 02:50
• 14 Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008 (Arr. A. Sariel for Liuto Attiorbato): VI. Gigue 03:20
• 15 Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008: IV. Sarabande (Arr. A. Sariel for Oud) 04:17
• Alon Sariel (b. 1986): Mandolin Partita:
• 16 Sariel: Mandolin Partita: I. Prelude 02:10
• 17 Sariel: Mandolin Partita: II. Allemande 01:43
• 18 Sariel: Mandolin Partita: III. Courante 01:47
• 19 Sariel: Mandolin Partita: IV. Sarabande 01:45
• 20 Sariel: Mandolin Partita: V. Menuets I & II 01:50
• 21 Sariel: Mandolin Partita: VI. Gigue 01:24
• Total Runtime 01:07:06

Info for Plucked Bach

Alon Sariel makes his PENTATONE debut with Plucked Bach, a programme exploring Bach’s cello suites performed on different mandolins, lutes, baroque guitar and oud, concluding with Sariel’s own Bach-inspired Mandolin Partita. Bach’s suites are often considered to be “the cellist’s Bible”, but the transferability of his music between instruments – a practice to which the composer himself also contributed frequently – seems to justify this fresh approach. Sariel aims to realize the timeless and universal character of Bach’s music in a multifarious sound world of plucked instruments, through a programme that employs an interplay of light and dark, embodied by the first and second suites respectively. Another objective has been to bring out the youthful elan of this music, composed years before Bach’s Passions. Altogether, this album presents Bach’s music in a new, enticing light.

Alon Sariel is one of the most versatile performers of his generation, whose guiding principle is a changing perspective; giving new life to existing material, as well as creating completely new works.

Alon Sariel, lutes, mandolins

Alon Sariel
As a mandolinist and lutenist, as well as a conductor, Alon Sariel is at home in the fields of both early and new music, having premiered dozens of works dedicated to him. He appeared at festivals such as the Salzburger Biennale for New Music and the Early Music Festival in Utrecht, and has performed in halls such as the Berliner Philharmonie and Sala São Paulo in Brazil.

Musical roads have taken Alon Sariel to many different genres from folk to avantgarde, leading him to collaborations with a bright spectrum of first-class artists such as soprano Dame Emma Kirkby, counter-tenor Andreas Scholl, trumpeter and intuitive-music artist Markus Stockhausen, violinist Jean-Christophe Spinosi, accordionist and banjo player Stian Carstensen and clarinetist David Krakauer.

A winner of numerous international competitions, prizes and awards, Alon Sariel has also been actively engaged in several socio/political-musical projects including Live Music Now (Yehudi Menuhin), Rhapsody in School (Lars Vogt) and the West-Eastern Divan (Daniel Barenboim).

As a soloist and member of different ensembles, Alon Sariel toured throughout Europe, the USA and Mexico, South America, South Africa, and the Middle- and Far-East. He has given master classes for the Classical Mandolin Society of America (CMSA) and at institutions such as Trinity College of Music (London), Lilla Akademien (Stockholm), the conservatories of Kazan (Russia) ZUŠ Nová Paka (Czech Republic) and Celaya (Mexico). Alon Sariel's playing was transmitted via radio stations worldwide, including Arte, BBC4, Bayerischer Rundfunk, WDR3, P2 Klassiskt, Kol HaMusika, WQXR and WNYC among others.

Currently residing in Hanover, where he is musical director of the international Baroque orchestra Concerto Foscari and founding member of PRISMA, with whom he was awarded the first prize at the International Biber Competition in Austria 2015. Recent engagements as soloist/conductor include ensembles as Munich Chamber Orchestra, Jerusalem Radio Symphony, Sofia Philharmonic, Tel Aviv Soloists, Camerata Tinta Barocca (Cape Town) and the Barokksolistene (Norway).

Among diverse recording productions with different ensembles, Alon Sariel is signed on several world premiere recordings such as the trios for plucked instruments by Paul Ben-Haim (for Albany Records) and by Yehezkel Braun (for IMI), as well as for "Nedudim" for mandolin and string orchestra by Gilad Hochman (with the Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin for Neue Meister). His recording "Paisiello in Vienna" marking the 200th anniversary of the composer's passing was released by Brilliant Classics to a wide critical acclaim. Alon Sariel's last recording "Telemandolin" (Berlin Classics) was awarded the "Golden Label" by Klassiek Centraal (Belgium) and the prestigious OPUS KLASSIK (Germany). Furthermore, the album has been described by the press as „a recording of epic proportions“. (Mandolin Café, USA)

2019 saw the release of his album "Rembrandt“ (querstand) with music of the Dutch Golden Age, and "Bach in the White City“ (Sheva Collection), an homage to the Bauhaus Centenary, bridging elegantly between Weimar and Tel Aviv. Furthermore, Alon Sariel has recorded Beethoven's mandolin literature on historical instruments for the 2020 NAXOS Classics Beethoven complete works CD box set.

Booklet for Plucked Bach