J.S. Bach: Sechs Sonaten und Partiten

Featuring

Gottfried Schneider
Johann Sebastian Bach

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Composer Biography

Johann Sebastian Bach's son, Philipp Emanuel Bach, attested to his father's solid violin-playing ability, describing it as 'pure and penetrating', especially during his early 30s.

Composition History

The cycle of six Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin by Bach occupies a special position because it was not composed for a specific princely or ecclesiastical occasion, unlike most of his other works.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Bach accepted the 'unplayability' of his solo violin works in favor of an ideal, visual notation that requires the listener's imagination to fully realize his polyphonic vision.

Critical Reception

George Bernard Shaw, a famous critic, humorously criticized a performance of Bach's solo violin music by Joseph Joachim, stating that the sound was so bad it made grating nutmeg on a shoe sole sound like an Aeolian harp.

Performer Biography

Gottfried Schneider, the violinist on this recording, made his first orchestral appearance at the age of 11 and won prizes at major international competitions like the Carl Flesch Competition.

Compositional Technique

The polyphonic movements, especially the three fugues, in Bach's solo violin works are considered difficult to perform on a single violin and would be more appropriately played on a keyboard instrument or an ensemble.

Recording & Production

This recording of Bach's violin cycle was not commissioned or initially intended for publication, but rather arose from the performer's desire to capture a 'snapshot' of his half-century engagement with the works.