Listener HG drew our attention to a similarity between the Courante of this cello suite and the "Cum Sancto Spiritu" from the Mass in B minor.  We talk about these dance forms and how they affect the affect, so to speak.  Nowadays, it's easy to think of Bach as old-fashioned, and certainly some composers in the late 1700s thought the same; however he shows here that he was ahead of his time. 

The "shoulder cello" (violoncello da spalla) makes another appearance here, smaller than the typical cello.  The instrument sacrifices the deep warmth of the cello for nimbleness and an extra string which allows for higher notes.  

Performance of Cello Suite no. 6 (BWV 1012) by Sergey Malov for the Netherlands Bach Society