Annlies Schmidt - making history
German cellist Annlies Schmidt was the first woman who recorded the Bach Cello Suites in 1957. She also started the historically informed performance movement of the Bach Cello Suites.
1915-2010
Annlies Schmidt made her career as a teacher and soloist, she performed concertos with many orchestras including the Berliner Philharmoniker under the baton of Sergiu Celibidache.
She released the first recording using a 5 strings cello and a baroque bow and set-up.
Studies
- She Studied at the Musikhochschule in Berlin where she was a student of Emmanuel Feuermann.
- She played violoncello and viola da gamba.
Career
- Played as a soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sergiu Celibidache.
- Performed Haydn D with orchestra in Berlin
- Gave the French premiere of the Samuel Barber Cello Concerto.
- Was an active chamber music player.
- 1960: Recorded Brahms 2 Sonatas for Violoncello and Klavier with Rolf Knieper, piano. listen
- 1968 to 1980 : taught at the Karlsruhe Music Academy.
About her recording of the Bach Cello Suites
Information found from the back of the recording:
- "Pure guts and wounded guts strings"
- "These Suites are executed as faithfully as possible to the only original original document, written by Anna Magdalena Bach, second wife of J.S. Bach."
- "The 5 Suites is tuned C-G-D-G and the 6th suite is playes à 5 cordes, C-G-D-A-E"
- "The bow used for the recording is copied from bow used in baroque period."
I added the page about the recording of the Suites to this project as a sort of "tribute" to the cellists who recorded the 6 Suites. Making my Bach project and recording the Suites was a unique experience because of Bach's magnificent music. I found Annlies Schmidt recording when I was looking for old recordings at the BNF. I researched about her and found programs of her performances, in Berlin, before, during, and after World War II. I wish I could have found more information about her. She dedicated this recording to her teacher, Emmanuel Feuermann who, due to his Jewish origin, was dismissed from his position at the Berlin Conservatory by the Nazi regime in 1933. I still don't understand why her recording was kept unknown, she was the first one to start historical performance research and the first recording on a full baroque set-up. She also played gamba, and you can very much hear that in the 6th Suite.. Her recording of all the Six Suites is available in youtube, she played the 6th Suites on a 5 Strings cello. I cannot help but wonder if this stunning project would have had the same outcome if she would have been a man. I dedicate this post to the women who recorded the Bach Cello Suites...
Marianne Dumas
WOMEN WHO RECORDED THE complete BACH CELLO SUITEs
Annlies Schmidt , Esther Nyffenegger, Reine Flachot, Alla Vasolieva, Susan Sheppard, Ophélie Gaillard, Maria Kliegel, Vivianne Spanoghe, Sara Sant'ambrogio, Velitchka Yotcheva, Anne Gastinel, Angela East, Karine Georgian, Josephine Van Lier , Phoebe Carrai, Winona Zelenka, Tanya Tompkins, Quirine Viersen, Mary Constanza, Nina Kotova, Rachel Mercer, Ditta Rohmann, Mari Fujiwara, Mayke Rademakers, Inbal Segev, Bryndis Halla Gylfadottir, Xenia Jankovic, Sophie Shao, Sophie Webber, Viola de Hoog, Natalia Khoma, Marianne Dumas, Lucia Swart, Emmanuelle Bertrand, Maja Weber, Alisa Weilerstein, Valérie Aymard, Matilda Colliard, Maya Beiser, Ailbhe Mconagh, Bertille Arrué...
