Attention to the flats! (4th Suite)

 

4th Suite  in E-flat major  BWV 1010

 

Prélude

Bar 16, 2nd note, many editions show and many cellists play d-flat, but it is a Anna Magdalena's simple error, because, here she changed the system of staff at the middle of bar, lower d (2nd note of the lower system) has no flat. In addition, the movement of higher notes is unnatural (d, d-flat, d-flat, d-flat).

Here, it is natural that only bass note descends as a passage note like bar 9 to 10 and bar 19 to 20.

Kellner did not write flat, of course!

2nd half of Bar 80,  some editions (such as Gaillard, Tortelier, etc.) show and some cellists play b-flat (single flat), but it is a misunderstanding. Here, flat of the key signature + flat of the note = double flat (1+1=2). If Bach wanted single flat, he would not write accidentals and need not write them twice or three times. And if we play single flat, the neapolitan sixth will lose its effect.

   Kellner:

   Anna Magdalena:

Allemande

From bar 23 to bar 24, 2nd beat, not a-natural but a-flat although many editions and cellists show a-natural. All the 4 copies unanimously show a-flat. We can imagine a chord succession as follows. It is the neapolitan sixth chord of G minor.

 

It is the same chord succession as the 2nd Prélude of The Well-Tempered Clavier vol.1 (from bar 4).