The Sonata in A Minor for solo violin (BWV 1003) and the Partita in E Major for solo violin (BWV 1006) were arranged around 1737, when Bach was Director of Music and Cantor in Leipzig.
Instruments
Bach had a Lautenwerck (lute-clavier) and a clavichord at his disposal, both keyboard instruments whose strings are plucked like a guitar and can produce vibrato.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Johannes Brahms, a renowned composer, remarked that Bach's solo violin works contained "a whole universe of the deepest thoughts and feelings" on a single stave for a small instrument.
Compositional Technique
Bach's solo violin sonatas and partitas were revolutionary for creating a polyphonic sound on a largely monophonic instrument, demanding extreme virtuosity.
Composer Biography
Johann Sebastian Bach composed mainly chamber music during his time as Kapellmeister to the Prince of Anhalt-Köthen from 1717-1723.
Performer Biography
Stephen Marchionda, the guitarist on this album, has performed in acclaimed venues such as London's Wigmore Hall and New York City's Carnegie Hall.
Recording & Production
MDG, the label for this recording, produces all its recordings in the natural acoustics of specially chosen concert halls, avoiding artificial sound manipulation.
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