Johann Sebastian Bach

Violin Partita 3 BWV 1006a/1006

In all Bach’s cyclic works, we see evidence of Bach as a pedagogue; even his most sublime music is fundamentally didactic in nature. Within the Sonatas and Partitas there is an overall arch between all the movements. The very first gesture in the G-minor Adagio, with its sweeping chord is, in a sense, is the violin’s signature chord in the same way that E major can be thought of as the guitar’s signature chord––and it acts as a harbinger of things to come. The complete set systematically explores a rich variety of challenges both to the composer and the performer and, throughout the movements, all aspects of composing and playing become increasingly more demanding. Just as C.P.E. Bach wrote about knowing nothing better than his father’s Sonatas and Partitas for helping one learn to become an accomplished violinist, so can we, too, discover much of what is possible on the guitar through studying this timeless collection.