J.S. Bach Sixth Suite BWV 1012 

Me: "yeah the 6th suite is pretty much impossible to play well on the bass." Joel: "Hold my beer."

fantastic!

the best compliment I can give is that I just sat back and enjoyed it, unlike so many bass recordings of Bach.

I'm playing bass for 18 years now and can't imagine ever reaching this level of musicality and technique. It's just unreal. What a stunning musician.

One of the best things intelligence has filtered from the cosmic microwave background radiation.

3:39 This has to be the most incredible and challenging line ever played on a bass.

Making an instrument of that size disappear is no easy feat. Incredible playing!!

the fact that i’m having trouble learning this piece on cello itself (i’ll be a little nice to myself by saying that i’m using a 4-string cello but still) and he’s playing this nearly perfectly on a double bass is just mind blowing.

TO THE 20 PEOPLE WHO DISLIKED . . . May the lord save your soul.

This piece is even hard enough to play on the Cello!

You can't argue with this-it's the best 6th Suite on bass ever. When I retire I might switch to tuning in 5ths like this and give it a go! Beautiful playing, JQ, just beautiful. I'm ashamed I've never heard you play before.

I am in Cusco Peru looking at the ancient Incas city from the window of the hotel and listening to Mr Quarrington wonderful performance of Bach’s cello suite number 6. Just beautiful!!

I listen to this at least once a day - it's probably my favourite recording of any musical piece ever. There is something particularly transcendental about your performance here. A real masterpiece, I am so grateful that you have given us this gift, Joel!

Amazing. Played on the cello is difficult enough but on the double bass well what can one say......almost impossible. By the way the 19 thumbs down where the 19 other bassists this man beat out in past auditions.

The sound: effortless and ethereal. The video: my man was putting in WORK.

the amount of skill and practice that goes into this has to be tens of years of work, its so beautiful dare i say perfect

This just shouldn’t be physically possible given the height of the strings above the finger board. It is a miracle on just too many levels. ❤

Absolutely breathtaking Joel. Your performance should be awarded a DIN number in Ontario, as it should be used for medicinal purposes in the treatment of the heart and the soul!

absolutely beautiful. this is a groundbreaking and important recording that people will be talking about for decades.

this is incredible. darkness and luminosity are so much more contrasted by playing this on the bass. thank you.

Hats off to you Joel! This Suite is a mountain for cellists but for a bass player it’s basically akin to landing on the moon.

Absolutely stunning.

the man, the myth, the legend

I never thought I would hear a bassist perform Bach cello suites on the same level as Edgar Meyer. I was mistaken.

Very nice! I'm a "baroque" Cellist, and I greatly appreciate your Performance. Nice tempi, Beautiful rhythmic flow and clear phrasing without the weird excentricities some cellists seem to think they can afford themselves in Bach. I rarely can stand listening through any Bach Suite recording, but this was a joy. Bravissimo!

He has always preached the use of tuning the Double Bass in 5ths. This is a truly fine example of what can be done in this realm.

Give this man a beer!

Quarrington is not only has superb command of his instrument, his interpretation is marvelous.

Dear Mr. Quarrington, this has got to be the most elegant bass playing I have ever witnessed. Thank you very much!

How is felt the lack of applause at the end of such a magnificent performance! Your sound and the spirit of Bach together!

Simply breathtaking in its beauty! Joel Quarrington is one of finest classical bassists living!

I am lucky enough to have performed chamber music with Joel on numerous occasions, and to have been incarcerated in a recording studio for part of a week where we shared the bass line on woodwind octets. I learned more about musical line and how to drive the bus from the bottom bracket (as well as it can ever be done on the bassoon) from Joel than I can ever hope to acknowledge, but here goes: Thanks Joel!! Beautiful performance here, he is the Joel Quarrington of the bass. Which is to say, why would you ever bother listening to the cello versions?

a big cello with organ's sound

i don't think i've seen anyone play this any better

What a find!!!! Never heard this on double bass before..

Stunnnning to see a double bass produce the beloved piece of Bach..

Absolutely beautiful. Didn't think anyone could play it it so fantastically on the Double bass!! It's better than most cello versions that I have heard!

This morning, the first day of 2019, the first thing I did was listen to this with deep joy. Thank you Joel, I could not have a better start to the year !

Exquisite playing. The test is that you forget it's a bass. Just a beautiful instrument. Wonderful feeling for this noble music.

It's a privilege to watch this. Thank you.

The best - I couldn't stop listening! Does 5ths tuning give you super-powers? How is this possible???

A true master! Thank you, Joel. I’ll never forget meeting you at the 2017 ISB convention in Ithaca, NY.

Goosebumps and happy tears by the way! Congratulations on this stunning performance! So much admiration! Sending love and wishes for a happy healthy holiday! Christine ox

This is stunningly beautiful; listening to this is helping me reflect and grieve the unexpected sudden loss of a friend and colleague. I will watch this video and listen to it many more times, no doubt. Thank you.

I was conservatory trained bassist. Played here n there. Used to think that Karr, Meyer were the ultimate bass players. Couple years ago I found out that there are incredibly good players on RU-vid. You, sir, go beyond the others. You are probably among the top 4 or 5 (euroclassical and otherwise) I've encountered. You seem like a good friend of Meister Bach himself. You GET! The spirit of it... entirely and are ingeniously MUSICAL on the bass fiddle as well. Unforgettably and unbelievably so.

Bravo, great! I wanted see 19 people who didn't like this performance!

MAESTRO JOEL, DIOS CUIDE CADA LATIDO DE SU CORAZÓN. CON SEGURIDAD, EL BESO QUE ENVIÓ AL FINAL DE LA GRABACIÓN, LLEGÓ AL CIELO!!!!!

It's truly stunning to witness Joel nailing these passages on a double bass. Bravo!

I revisit this so often. Thank you so much for sharing your artistry, Joel. 🙏🏽

The sarabande on the double bass... magical.

Je félicite monsieur QUARRINGTON, pour son courage, sa complète folie, son immense talent et la justesse de son propos.

What a JOY! Thank You!

I bet your thumb can crush a walnut. Amazing power sir!

Se parece a Bach y todo. Increíble contrabajista. Muy buena interpretación.

This is an incredible performance. Thank you for sharing it. The filming and location are beautiful too, bravo

spectacular!! thank you Joel for sharing this!

So Beautiful. One of the best I've heard. Thank you.

Magnificent!!!!!!!!!

Sublime... Thanks so much Master Joel!

Gorgeous !

amazing, perfect sound! thanks for releasing such an incredible version!

Amazing and so musical... Thank you!

My double bass teacher once gave me a copy of your Naxos Bottesini recordings for my birthday and I was stunned by your playing. This video leaves me feeling exactly the same way! Glorious!

Wonderful!

Amazing!

Wow. Awesome! Monstrous!!!

Infinite thanks for sharing it ... I can't stop listening to it over and over again ... and that Maggini is incredible!!!

Absolutely beautiful!! I have enjoyed your recordings for YEARS. Seeing you perform is equally inspiring and educational. Thank you.

GREAT!

BRAVO!

thank you for this

Thank You Joel. Bravo..

Very GREAT!!

Fantabulous !!!!

Beautiful!

precious!!

Very beautiful, thanks for sharing it with us!

Thank you for sharing this, Joel!

Bravo !!!

Espetacular, sensacional !!!

Beautiful

Joel!! Incredible, and so inspiring. Thanks for sharing this:):):) Loved every moment.

absolutely beautiful!

Bravo!!!!!

Absolutely incredible

Magnifie!!!!!

Nice, really nice!!! Thanks!

Normally despite being a double bass player I don't like bach played on our instrument ... but this interpretation deserves praise. fantastic. ;-)

Amazing! Very Good Job! Ty

Thank you 🙏🏼.

Wonderful - thank you very much.

Such a perfect union between two of the greatest masters: J.S. Bach & Joel Quarrington! Kudos to Travis Harrison for his Sound and Video artistry allowing us to appreciate Quarrington’s talent, effort and skills. Thank you for this long anticipated gift to the world of music.

Thank you for this Mr.Ouarrington! A salve for the soul and a lesson of infinite possibilities!

This is amazing!

This is fantastic. Once again thank you for such a great inspiration.

BRAVO !!!!

gorgeous.

Truly beautiful work Joel!!

Ethereal... I keep forgetting to breath listening to your performance. Complete mastery of technique, but, as well, mastery of your inner musical voice; the most important aspect of playing. Love you Joel!

Beautifully well done!