Thoughts on the Provenance of the Bach Cello Suite Sources

In the tradition of the Bach Cello Suite sources, it is generally accepted that the G minor Lute Suite, Source H (BWV 995), is Bach's transcription of his Fifth Cello Suite. Questions on the origin of the Lute Suite autograph were the stimulus for an investigation of its relationship to the other Cello Suite sources. Its provenance was examined in detail based on evidence in the extant manuscripts. The results of the study point to the improbability of the transcription concept, suggesting instead that the Lute Suite autograph and the Fifth Cello Suite were derived separately by Bach from a lost original lute source.