Six Shades of Bach Max Lilja

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750): Six Shades of Bach, Suite 1, Köthen:
• 1 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 1, Köthen: I. Prélude (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1007) 02:42
• 2 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 1, Köthen: II. Allemande (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1007) 01:43
• 3 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 1, Köthen: III. Courante (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1007) 01:12
• 4 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 1, Köthen: IV. Sarabande (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1007) 01:14
• 5 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 1, Köthen: V. Minuet I/II (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1007) 01:35
• 6 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 1, Köthen: VI. Gigue (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1007) 01:09
• Six Shades of Bach, Suite 2, Maria:
• 7 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 2, Maria: I. Prelude (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1008) 04:20
• 8 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 2, Maria: II. Allemande (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1008) 01:41
• 9 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 2, Maria: III. Courante (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1008) 01:22
• 10 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 2, Maria: IV. Sarabande (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1008) 02:35
• 11 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 2, Maria: V. Minuet I/II (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1008) 01:07
• 12 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 2, Maria: VI. Gigue (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1008) 01:52
• Six Shades of Bach, Suite 3, Anna Magdalena:
• 13 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 3, Anna Magdalena: I. Prélude (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1009) 02:45
• 14 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 3, Anna Magdalena: II. Allemande (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1009) 01:44
• 15 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 3, Anna Magdalena: III. Courante (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1009) 01:31
• 16 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 3, Anna Magdalena: IV. Sarabande (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1009) 02:03
• 17 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 3, Anna Magdalena: V. Bourrée I/II (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1009) 01:41
• 18 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 3, Anna Magdalena: VI. Gigue (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1009) 01:44
• Six Shades of Bach, Suite 4, Leipzig:
• 19 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 4, Leipzig: I. Prélude (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1010) 04:48
• 20 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 4, Leipzig: II. Allemande (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1010) 02:12
• 21 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 4, Leipzig: III. Courante (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1010) 01:54
• 22 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 4, Leipzig: IV. Sarabande (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1010) 01:55
• 23 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 4, Leipzig: V. Bourrée I/II (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1010) 02:35
• 24 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 4, Leipzig: VI. Gigue (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1010) 01:57
• Six Shades of Bach, Suite 5, Death:
• 25 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 5, Death: I. Prélude (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1011) 06:11
• 26 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 5, Death: II. Allemande (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1011) 02:48
• 27 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 5, Death: III. Courante (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1011) 01:28
• 28 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 5, Death: IV. Sarabande (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1011) 01:33
• 29 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 5, Death: V. Gavotte I/II (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1011) 01:59
• 30 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 5, Death: VI. Gigue (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1011) 02:08
• Six Shades of Bach, Suite 6, Eternity:
• 31 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 6, Eternity: Prélude (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1012) 04:17
• 32 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 6, Eternity: II. Allemande (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1012) 03:01
• 33 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 6, Eternity: III. Courante (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1012) 01:41
• 34 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 6, Eternity: IV. Sarabande (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1012) 02:10
• 35 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 6, Eternity: V. Gavotte I/II (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1012) 01:59
• 36 Bach: Six Shades of Bach, Suite 6, Eternity: VI. Gigue (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1012) 02:14
• Total Runtime 01:20:50

Info for Six Shades of Bach

Finnish cellist Max Lilja, one of the founders of Apocalyptica, takes us on an immersive journey across Johann Sebastian Bach’s life; through merging the iconic Cello Suites with an ambient composition, Lilja enlightens the space around the solitary voice.

To emphasise the continuous transcendence of a life, Lilja builds a solid sense of identity for each suite. The cello is embraced by the sonic world like an individual by the universe. Lilja’s playing has influences from the span of 300 years of existence of the suites, evolving from the simplicity of the 1st suite to almost Romantic in the 6th. His interpretation is inspired by Bach’s rhythmical ideas that expand suite by suite and, as life throughout the years, become more complex and multilayered.

After years of pioneering cello artistry in rock and electronic music, as well as composing for various projects, Lilja returns to his classical roots. With Six Shades of Bach, he presents a first of a kind crossover work, contributing to dialogues about the cello suites and survival of classical music.

Max Lilja, cello, electronics, arrangements

Max Lilja
is a Finnish solo artist, cellist and composer.

Lilja studied classical cello at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland from 1985 to 1997 with Hannu Kiiski, Raimo Sariola and Arto Noras.

In 1996, Lilja and his cellist friends founded the cello rock band Apocalyptica and during this era released the albums Plays Metallica by Four Cellos (1996), Inquisition Symphony (1998) and Cult (2000). Albums have sold multiple gold and platinum and won several awards.

In 2000s Lilja played in metal band Hevein who released Sound Over Matter (2005) and Gentle Anarchy (2013) as well as in poetry band Tekijä Tuntematon, known for albums Rakkauden Ovi (2005) and Syksyllä Minäkin (2008).

Since 2010 Lilja has focused on his solo career and released genre-bending cello-electro albums; Plays Electronica by One Cello (2013), Morphosis (2015) and 10 000 Miens (2018).

Lilja has composed music for Light Bulb Crew’s video game Othercide (2020), Maria Veijalainen’s radio play The Exorcist (2019), Janne Laiho’s films Work of an artist (2013), Hemen (2016) and Astronaut (2020), Justina Nevel’s film Will (2022) and Jussi Rautaniemi’s film Boy and a killer (2022).

In studio and on stage Lilja has worked with artists and bands from different genres, including worldwide touring with rock soprano Tarja Turunen. Besides acoustic and electric cello, Lilja also plays the electro-acoustic halldorophone.

Lilja has performed solo concerts in Europe and the US, and in his career over a thousand concerts in more than 60 countries around the world.

From a review of Lilja’s electronic solo concert: “Max Lilja is a rock star of the cello. Lilja’s music puts you in a trance. He sounds like Jean-Michel Jarre, Depeche Mode and Jimmy Hendrix. There’s only this grand Finnish sound wizard, the cello and an incredible charisma.” (Badische Zeitung)

Booklet for Six Shades of Bach