Bach's Suites a Violoncello Solo senza Basso are thought to have been composed during 1717-1723, when Bach served as Kapellmeister in Kothen. Although no manuscript in Bach's own hand has survived, there is a manuscript in the hand of Bach's second wife Anna Magdalena Bach. This is the historical source from which this arrangement has been made. Bach's Cello Suite VI, BWV 1012, is in the key of D major, and this arrangement keeps the original key. A low D tuning of the 6th string is used throughout all the movements of the suite. This adds a rich sonority, and by extending the bass range, allows for a more authentic rendering of melodic lines, and also preserves much of the original voicing of chords."