The solo cello literature seemingly begins with Bach’s Suites. Actually, it is today’s concert repertoire that starts there; instead, Bach’s works are the climax of a long era of experiments (and results), spanning a good chunk of the 17th century. For instance, Alessandro Scarlatti, who was a generation older than Bach, left three Sonatas with continuo sporting a general structure not unlike Bach’s works, as each movement is based on a more or less idealized dance rhythm. Yet they are way more melodic, more singable; one might say, more operatic. Slightly earlier than Scarlatti is the great virtuoso, Domenico Gabrielli. Even his short Ricercari for unaccompanied cello are no starting point; similar works had been written before him in the Bologna school. However, they well represent the pioneer stage of the genre, largely taking place between Bologna and Modena.
