Review
Of Bach's three partitas for solo violin, the first is the most old-fashioned in its choice of dance movements. The work is structurally unusual among Bach's sonatas and partitas for solo instruments in that it consists of four pairs of movements, the second of each pair offering a variation (or, employing the French term
double ) on the first. Another nod to older forms is the overall layout of the movements; the pairs fall into the slow-fast-slow-fast pattern of the church sonata or sonata da chiesa. To complicate matters, each
double is much faster than the movement it varies. The work is technically challenging, generally more difficult than the third partita but not as tough as the second, the famous Chaconne of which is clotted with double and triple stops.
The opening Allemanda announces that it's not for sissy violinists with an immediate series of double stops (which were easier to play in Bach's time than today, thanks to the convex Baroque bow). This is a typical example of the allemanda (or allemande), a slow, serious German dance in quadruple meter and binary form, its improvisational-seeming melodies refusing to conform to the expected phrases. Its "Double" is faster and in 2/2, following the same contours as the original melodies, but now filling them in with even runs of notes. The "Correnta" is the Italian version of the dance form known in French as courante: fairly fast, in 3/4, sawing up and down the scale. Its 'Double," marked Presto, again rolls all over the staff, but the notes now fly by almost as fast as possible. The mood becomes somber with the Sarabande, the only movement in this partita to receive the French version of its title. Indeed, unlike the common Italian model, this French Sarabande is slow (in 3/4 meter) and expressive, its second half almost entirely in double stops. Its "Double" switches to 9/8 and increases the tempo, but the mood remains questioning and unsettled; at least Bach now eases off the multiple stops. Finally comes a movement in
Tempo di Borea (related to the bourée), fast and sharply accented in a meter marked 2/4 but really feeling more like 2/2; again, Bach employs multiple stops through most of this movement. Its "Double" is in 12/4, the shape of the original melody obscured by the fast, nonstop passagework. ~ James Reel, All Music Guide
Albums with Complete Performances of the Work
And Forgive Us Our Transcriptions: Ricci at Wigmore (A 75th Birthday Celebration) 1998
Andrés Segovia: Golden Guitar Recital 1999
Bach 2000 Light: The Complete Bach Edition (without Sacred Cantatas) (includes Commemorative Book) (Box Set) 1999
Bach 2000: The Complete Bach Edition (Includes Commemorative Book) (Box Set) 1999
Bach Edition, Vol. 1 [Box Set]
Bach Edition, Vol. 1: Orchestral Works; Chamber Works [Box Set]
Bach Edition: Complete Works [Box Set]
Bach Edition: Complete Works [Box Set] 2006
Bach on the Lute 2007
Bach on the Lute, Vol. 1: Sonatas and Partitas 1994
Bach on the Lute, Volume 1 1996
Bach to Bach [DVD Video] 2007
Bach, Chopin, Debussy 2001
Bach-Beispiele 2000
Bach-Schumann, Vol. 1 1996
Bach: 3 Sonatas & 3 Partitas For Violin Solo
Bach: 3 Sonatas and 3 Partitas
Bach: 6 Solo Sonatas & Partitas 2009
Bach: 6 Sonatas & Partitas For Violin Alone 1991
Bach: 6 Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo [Exclusive Free Sampler Included] 2003
Bach: 6 Sonatas for Violin Solo with Piano Accompaniment by Robert Schumann 1995
Bach: Chamber Works 1999
Bach: Chamber Works 2000
Bach: Complete Music for Solo Violin
Bach: Complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006
Bach: Complete Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo 2002
Bach: Partita No2; Partita No1
Bach: Partita No2; Partita No3
Bach: Partita Nos.1-3 1994
Bach: Partitas 1998
Bach: Partitas
Bach: Sei Solo a Violin senza Basso accompagnate - I 2005
Bach: Six Solo Sonatas & Partitas 2003
Bach: Six Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006 1990
Bach: Soli Deo Gloria - Meisterwerken in bedeutenden Aufnahmen (Box Set) 2000
Bach: Solo Violin Music, Vol. 2 1994
Bach: Solo Violin Sonatas and Partitas
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas 1988
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas 1994
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas 1985
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas 1993
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas 1993
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas 1997
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas 1999
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas 1998
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas BWV 1001-1006 2000
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin 2005
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin 1999
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin 1998
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin, Vol. 1 2001
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Unaccompanied Violin 2000
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Unaccompanied Violin, Vol. 1 1992
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Violin 1997
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Violin 1998
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Violin solo 2005
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for solo Violin 2008
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas, BWV 1001-1006 1990
Bach: Sonatas & Partitias 2006
Bach: Sonatas Nos. 1-3; Partitas Nos. 1-3 1993
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas 2004
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas For Unaccompanied Violin
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin 2005
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin 1975
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin 1997
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin 1994
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin 2000
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin 2002
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006 2008
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV1001 - 1006 1999
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo (Transcriptions for Guitar) 2001
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for solo Violin 1996
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, BWV 1001-1003 2000
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, BWV 1001-1006
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Nos. 1 - 3
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 1 1999
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 1 2001
Bach: Sonatas for Solo Violin Played on the Curved Bow
Bach: Sonate & Partite, BWV 1001-1006 1995
Bach: Sonate e Partite per Violino Solo
Bach: Sonate e Partite per Violino Solo
Bach: Sonate e Partite per Violino Solo 2003
Bach: Sonate e Partite per Violino Solo I
Bach: Sonate e Partite per Violino Solo, Vol. 1
Bach: Sonate e Partite per Violino solo 1998
Bach: Sonaten & Partiten 1994
Bach: Sonaten und Partiten 1988
Bach: Sonates & Partitas
Bach: Sonates & Partitas, Vol. 1 2008
Bach: Sonates et partitas pour violon seul
Bach: Suites for Solo Stringed Instruments [Box Set]
Bach: The Complete Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin Vol. 1 2007
Bach: The Complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin 1983
Bach: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Bach: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin
Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo [Hybrid SACD]
Bach: The Six Sonatas and Partitas 1998
Bach: The Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin 2001
Bach: The Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin; Unaccompanied Partita for Flute 1998
Bach: Three Partitas 2004
Bach: Three Sonatas & Three Partitas For Violin Solo
Bach: Violin Partitas 1 & 2 1997
Bach: Violin Sonatas & Partitas 2000
Bach: Violin Sonatas & Partitas
Bach: Violin Sonatas and Partitas, BWV 1001-03, Vol. 1 1999
Bach: Violin Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 1 1991
Bach: Violinsonaten und Partiten 1996
Bach:Sonatas and Partitas For Solo Violin
Bach:Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, Vol. 1 1999
Bach:Sonatas and Partitas for Violon Solo, BWV.1001-1006 1997
Baroque Preludes, Dances and Fugues 2006
Brahms, Bach, Schubert: Works for Violin and Piano 2001
Brahms: Sonate; Bach: Partita; Ben-Haim: Sonata; Ravel: Tzigane; Saint-Saëns: Introduction ed Rondo capriccioso 2008
Caoine 1997
Ezodrio 1999
Ezordio 1999
Festspieldokumente 2000: Bach-Beispiele
Francescatti plays Violin Concertos by Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, etc.
Ilya Gringolts Plays Bach 2003
J. S. Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin 1996
J. S. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006 2002
J.S. Bach: 3 Partitas for Solo Violin 2003
J.S. Bach: 6 Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo 2003
J.S. Bach: Complete Partitas & Sonatas for Solo Violin 2007
J.S. Bach: Partitas
J.S. Bach: Six Sonatas & Partitas for violin solo 2002
J.S. Bach: Six Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
J.S. Bach: Sonatas & Partitas BWV 1001-1006 2001
J.S. Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin; Cello Suites 2004
J.S. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin 1997
J.S. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006 [Hybrid SACD] [Includes DVD Video] 2005
J.S. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo
J.S. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin 2003
J.S. Bach: Sonaten & Partiten
J.S. Bach: The Sonatas and Partitas for Unaccompanied Violin, BWV 1001-1006 1977
J.S. Bach: The Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo 2005
J.S. Bach: The Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo 2006
J.S. Bach: Violin Concertos; 3 Partitas 2006
Jascha Heifetz Plays Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach Premium Edition [Box Set] 2006
Johann Sebastian Bach Premium Edition, Vol. 22 2006
Johann Sebastian Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas 2006
Lachrimae: Works by Dowland, Bach, Weiss
Leonid Kogan Legacy, Volume XIII
Marimba'ch
My Favourites 2008
Nascent: Bach Preludes on the Steel String Guitar 2005
Nathan Milstein Performs Vivaldi, Bach, Beethoven, Glasunow 2002
Nathan Milstein: Aristocrat of the Violin 2009
Nigel North: Bach on the Lute (Box Set) 2000
Partitas 1997
Ricci: Celebrating Six Decades On Stage
Stravinsky / Bach
Structures 2006
The Glitter of Brass 1995
The Original Jacket Collection: Jascha Heifetz [Box Set] 2008
The Very Best of Jacques Loussier 2003
Violin Masterpieces 2009
Violin Masterworks [Box Set] 2009
Works for Solo Violin by Bach, Bartòk & Paganini
Yehudi Menuhin: The Great EMI Recordings
Albums with Excerpt Performances of the Work
10 ans et toujours naïve! 2008
20 Great Violinists play 20 Masterpieces
25 Guitar Favorites 1996
30 Years Outside the Box
50 Piano & Guitar Favorites 2005
A Bach Recital 1988
A Baroque Guitar Weekend
About a Hundred Years: A History of Sound Recording 1997
Album 2007
Andres Segovia and His Contempories, Vol. 11: Guitarists of the Rio de la Plata [3 CDs + DVD] 2009
Andrés Segovia: A Portrait (Box Set) 2002
Andrés Segovia: A Portrait, Vol. 3 2002
Andrés Segovia: Guitar 1999
Andrés Segovia: Guitar Recital
Andrés Segovia: The Complete 1949 London Recordings 1994
Bach Transcriptions
Bach for Barbecue: Grillin' and Chillin' with Johann Sebastian 2001
Bach, Debussy, Hindemith, etc. 1991
Bach, Weiss: Guitar Works
Bach: Adagio Religioso
Bach: BWV Nos. 582, 478, 807, 1002, 80, 248, 578, 1068, 487, 1006 & 565 1997
Bach: Famous Transcriptions [Includes DVD: Rare Performance of Stokowski on Film] 2004
Bach: Partita d-Moll; Sonaten g-Moll & C-Dur 1995
Bach: Three Pieced for Lute/Three Pieces from Violin Partita No.1 1987
Bach: Transcribed 2009
Baroque Inspires The Movies / Various 1999
Caoine 1997
Classical Guitar Music 1999
Classics By the Sea
Complete Bach Recordings, 1927-1955
Complete Recordings/1912 Recordings 1993
Eric Reyes Interpreta a J.S. Bach
Gold Collection 2000
Gramophone Editor's Choice, July 1999 1999
Great Violinists, Vol.1 1989
Harp Recital
Hungarian Violin School, Vol. 1
Icon: Andrés Segovia 2008
In Celebration & Tribute 2002
J.S. Bach: Violin Concertos, BWV 1041/42; Double Concerto; Concerto for Violin and Oboe 2004
Jewels of the Baroque Era
Joseph Szigeti 1999
Joseph Szigeti: The Recordings With Bartók & Foldes 1993
La Musica de Bach a la Orilla del Mar 2002
Leonid Kogan plays Sonatas by Ysaÿe, Leclair, Telemann, Locatelli 2002
Les Voix Humaines: Abel, Bach, Marais, Sainte-Colombe
Liebesträume-The Most Beautiful Melodies For Harp
Liebesträume: The Most Beautiful Melodies for Harp
Music by Bach, Mendelssohn, Liszt & Debussy 1996
Ossip Gabrilowitsch 1992
Poet of the Guitar 1995
Red Dragonfly 2008
Saturday Morning Coffee 2007
Schubert, Brahms, Bach 2004
Segovia & His Contemporaries, Vol. 6 2000
Segovia: The American Decca Recordings, Vol 1 [Box Set]
Shalimar 2008
Shapes 2003
Short Pieces
Stokowski's Symphonic Bach, Vol. 2 2005
Szigeti Plays Bach 2001
The Art of Segovia 2002
The Artistry of Eliot Fisk 2002
The Bach Recordings 1999
The Baroque Repertoire, 1939-1952
The Cimbalom's Paganini 2002
The Columbia Recordings with Piano 1993
The Complete Recordings 1904-17, Vol. 1 2001
The Great Violinists: Recordings from 1900-1913
The Guitar of Andrés Segovia 2004
The Master
The Recorded Violin, Vol.1
The Segovia Collection 2002
The Segovia Collection, Vol. 4 1988
The Sounds of Bach by the Sea 1999
Transfigured Bach: The Bach Transcriptions of Bartók, Lipatti and Friedman 2001
Two Hundred Sixty-One, Vol. 1 2009
Welte-Mignon Piano, Vol. 2 2008
