Partita No. 3 for Keyboard in A Minor

Partita No. 3 was one of the first to be composed, copied into the front of the little keyboard book—Clavierbüchlein—which Bach prepared for his second wife, Anna Magdalena, in 1725. It opens with a “Fantasia” which, rather than adopting the free, improvisatory manner its title suggests, is actually fairly strict in style, similar to Bach’s two-part Inventions. The rest of the Partita alternates the rough with the smooth. A poised “Allemande” is paired with a carousing “Corrente” full of jerky rhythms and a widely leaping left-hand part. The gentle and apparently unassuming “Sarabande” shows Bach taking a few liberties with the traditional form of the dance—which loses its second-beat emphasis but gains an opening upbeat. It’s followed by two colourful and energetic movements: the witty, tuneful “Burlesca”, and a spikey “Scherzo” (not present in Anna Magdalena’s early version of the piece). A scurrying “Gigue” rounds things off with some clever imitative banter (fugue) between the two hands. About J.S. Bach’s Partitas Bach published his Six Partitas for Keyboard individually between 1726-30, and then together as his Opus 1 in 1731—forming the first part of his Clavier-Übung (Keyboard Practice). The Partitas are keyboard suites built around the traditional sequence of dances—allemande, courante, sarabande, gigue—but distinguished by differing opening movements and novelties added toward the end of each suite. Variety was the guiding principle throughout, not only to appeal to the public but also allowing Bach to display his full stylistic range: stretching the boundaries of well-known dance forms so that no two are quite alike. The Partitas established Bach’s reputation as a keyboard composer—not for fledgling fingers, but for serious players.