Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin

Featuring

Christoph Schickedanz
Johann Sebastian Bach

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Critical Reception

The reception history of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas was slow, taking time for interpreters and audiences to understand the music.

Composition History

Johann Sebastian Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin were written in Weimar and Köthen, with the autograph fair copy dating from 1720.

Recording & Production

The first complete recording of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas was made by the young Yehudi Menuhin between 1934 and 1936 for His Master's Voice.

Compositional Technique

The Partitas draw on the tradition of the dance suite and sonata da camera, with Bach modifying or adding to the standard sequence of movements.

Notable Performances

Joseph Joachim, a key figure in 19th-century violin performance, made the first recording of parts of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas in Berlin in 1903 at age 72.

Composer Biography

Johann Sebastian Bach was an accomplished violinist who served as concert master at the Weimar court and was well-informed about contemporary violin repertoire.

Compositional Technique

The three Sonatas in this collection follow the sonata da chiesa model, each with four movements: an Adagio or Grave, a Fugue, a slow movement, and a Presto or Allegro finale.