Named a 2010 Book of the Year by The Economist |
Part biography, part music history, and part literary mystery, The Cello Suites weaves together three dramatic narratives: The first features Johann Sebastian Bach and the missing manuscript of his suites from the eighteenth century; the second follows Pablo Casals and the historic discovery of the music in Spain in the late nineteenth century; and the third is Eric Siblin's own infatuation with the suites in the twenty-first century. This love affair leads Siblin to the back streets of Barcelona and a Belgian mansion; to interviews with cellists Mischa Maisky, Anner Bylsma, and Pieter Wispelwey; to archives, festivals, and conferences; and even to cello lessons — all in pursuit of answers to the mysteries that continue to haunt this piece of music more than 250 years after its composer's death.
The Cello Suites is an incomparable, beautifully written, true-life journey of discovery, fuelled by the transcendent power of a musical masterpiece.
Review in The Economist
The Economist, January 7, 2010
BBC World Service interview
The Strand lends an ear to The Cello Suites
December 21, 2009
Author talk in Amsterdam
Video from Dutch book launch
The Irish Times book review
Ite O'Donovan, Book of the Day
January 27, 2010
The Dallas Morning News interviews author
On the cello trail in Texas 2011
Michael Merschelf, February 16, 2011
Ti Racconto un Libro profiles author
February 14, 2011
( Skip to 15:30 mark of Italian TV show)
The New York Times book review
of The Cello Suites
Janet Maslin, Books of the Times
November 30, 2009
"The Cello Suites was almost
a murder mystery"
Nelson Wyatt, The Canadian Press
November 16, 2009
Bach, Pablo Casals are heroes
in a musical detective story
Arthur Kaptainis, The Vancouver Sun
April 11, 2009
Video of Book Launch
The Montreal Gazette video of The Cello Suites
November 13, 2009
Radio interview with Shelagh Rogers
Host of The Next Chapter on CBC Radio One
Interview on NPR show On Point
Host Tom Ashbrook takes calls, plays music
December 7, 2009
Q & A with Eric Siblin
Interview with John Fleming, St-Petersburg Times October 25, 2009
Audio interview with
House of Anansi Press
Espace Musique entrevue
Entrevue en francais avec Simon Durivage
Août 2010
Stereophile magazine gives a listen
Review in the December 2010 issue
Harper's magazine raises questions
Q&A with author, January 2011
Août 2010
Photograph by: Pierre Obendrauf, The Gazette