Partita for Violin No. 2 (Bach)

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The Partita in D minor for solo violin (BWV 1004) by Johann Sebastian Bach was written during the period 1717–1723 and some scholars suggest it was written in memory of Bach's first wife, Maria Barbara Bach.^{[citation needed]} The partita contains five movements:

A strong common theme is shared between the first four movements. In the Allemande, there is a hint at the repeated bass, which from then on continues to haunt the piece until it makes its full appearance in the Ciaconna. While the first four movements reflect the standard German baroque dance suite, the overall dark character of the partita is enhanced by the monumental Ciaccona which closes the work.

Notable recordings of the Partita have been made by Henryk Szeryng, Nathan Milstein, Arthur Grumiaux, Gidon Kremer, Jascha Heifetz, Itzhak Perlman, and Yehudi Menuhin, among others.

1 The Ciaccona
2 See also
3 Bibliography
4 External links

[edit] The Ciaccona

The Ciaccona (commonly known as Chaconne in English), the concluding movement of the partita, lasts some 13 to 15 minutes, surpassing the duration of the previous movements combined. Along with its disproportional relationship to the rest of the suite, it merits the emphasis given it by musicians and composers alike. The theme, presented in the first four measures in typical chaconne rhythm with a chord progression based on the repeated bass note pattern D D C♯ D B♭ G A D, begets the rest of the movement in a series of variations. The overall form is a triptych, the middle section of which is in major mode.

This ciaccona is considered a pinnacle of the solo violin repertoire in that it covers practically every aspect of violin-playing known during Bach's time and thus it is among the most difficult pieces to play for that instrument. Since Bach's time, several different transcriptions of the piece have been made for other instruments, particularly for the piano (by Ferruccio Busoni) and for piano/left-hand (by Brahms), as well as for the guitar, first transcribed by Argentinian guitarist and composer Antonio Sinopoli. At least three transcriptions have been published for organ solo. An arrangement for full orchestra (1930) was famously recorded by Leopold Stokowski. Recently, a bassoon transcription by Arthur Weisberg was written to highlight the capabilities of his new key systems for the bassoon.

The Ciaccona is commonly included as a required repertoire piece in violin competitions all over the world.

Johannes Brahms, in a letter to Clara Schumann, said about the ciaccona:

“

On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagined that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind.

”

Chaconne for solo violin

Chaconne for piano with left hand only

Brahms' transcription of the Chaconne from J. S. Bach's Solo Violin Partita 2, BWV 1004
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