Rivers Cello Suites

One of my proudest achievements is the creation of the Rivers Cello Suites for Solo Cello. Writing six cello suites was not something that I had planned to do from the start. I had just graduated from Temple University and was transitioning into the life of a professional musician and composer, without the constant guidance of a teacher.  This project was born of a desire to write music that would focus on the areas of my playing technique that I felt still needed growth, while also allowing me to develop my composition technique. 

 

The goal was to learn different writing styles in chronological order, starting with Baroque-style pieces for solo cello, imitating the work of Johann Sebastian Bach. I researched the style of this Master Composer and the intricacies of his cello suites in depth. The first solo piece that I wrote that year, Les Gigues, was fairly traditional and had a Baroque sound, but the next three solo pieces were more experimental in nature, and all had a uniquely jazzy style. The more I wrote, the more I felt the pull of the dances of today, especially from Jazz and Latin America. 

 

I played the pieces for my mother and she was particularly intrigued by High Life, saying she had never heard anything quite like that in classical music. We began talking about the piece, the inspiration it drew from Bach’s writing style, and the potential cultural significance of the work I was doing, realizing that the infusion of current dances could introduce a new landscape. It was at this point that I decided to write a six-suite set of this music, both as a project to introduce new concepts and as an homage to Johann Sebastian Bach.

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Over a six-year period (2017 to 2023), I engaged in the most difficult yet enriching music composition project I have ever undertaken. Each suite incorporates elements of Jazz (Blues; Swing) and Latin Dance (Cha-Cha; Rumba Guaguanco; Mambo; Bachata). There are also elements of my Native American and Nigerian heritage in a few of the movements. There are no dynamics or articulations in the score; only cello techniques are used. That sparsity is an homage to the 18th century collection, but it also allows each performer more freedom to express a unique opinion, which is the first step in truly becoming an artist. Without completely rewriting a score, what a performer adds to the music is what continues to bring our artform to life and sustain it.

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I look forward to sharing this collection, and the ideas it puts forth, in a concert series that kicks off in August of 2024.