J.S Bach composed the 6 Suites for violoncello senza basso during the years he was “Anhalt-Köthen Prince's own musical director" at the court of Köthen between 1717 and 1723.  

At that time, the Calvinist faith prohibited music in the church (organs were removed from churches).  During his years in Kothen, Bach's compositions were intended for the court. Among them, the Violin Sonatas and Partitas, the Brandenburg Concertos, the secular cantatas, Well-Tempered Clavier (BWV 846-869) and the Cello Suites.

J.S. BACH's original manuscript of the Cello Suites has not been found (yet..?). Fortunately, four manuscript copies from the  18^th century survived. We often refer to each facsimile with a letter or number: 

• I  : By A. Magdalena Bach, first half of the 18^th c.
• II : By J. Peter Kellner, first half of the 18^th c. (the oldest)
• III: By 2 different authors,  mid  18^th c.
• IV: By Author unknown, from the end of the 18^th c.

Because these copies differ from each other, different interpretations of the slurs can be made. As of today, we count more than 90 editions of the cello suites. The choice of bowing and articulation is an endless debate for a cellist. 

The only manuscript reference from J.S. Bach is the Luth version of the Suite N°5 called Pieces pour la luth à Monsieur Schouster" BWV 995

A-M BACH

 First half of the 18^th  c..