Sonata for Solo Violin No. 1 in G Minor

Bach’s set of six solo violin sonatas and partitas might conclude with the dazzling sunburst of the E major Partita, but its opening sonata couldn’t be more different in mood. And BWV 1001 announces as much with a four-note G minor chord that glowers forbiddingly until a brief downward roulade offers momentary distraction. Rich in enveloping ornamentation, audacious in its deeply expressive harmonic design, the soulful “Adagio” distils an introspection that is dispelled by the sheer purposefulness of the determined “Fuga” that follows. A display of considerable virtuosity at the service of intricate counterpoint rather than attention-seeking, its punctuating chords resound with a defiance that refuses to be circumscribed by the limitations of four strings and a bow. (The key of G minor is an ally here, since it allows the two bottom strings of the violin, G and D, to resonate freely.) The third movement offers balm. Heading for the solace of G minor’s related major key (B flat), a gently lilting “Siciliana” affords respite, even as Bach wraps teasingly elusive complexities around a rhythm redolent of a lullaby. A sense of melancholy hovers, nonetheless, as if the import of the first two movements cannot be assuaged so easily. And certainly not for long. The finale rekindles the truculent G minor drama, driven by a ferocious tornado of notes, uninterrupted save for the resolute chords that signal the end of each half. About J.S. Bach's Partitas and Sonatas for Solo Violin Although Bach was arguably the pre-eminent keyboard exponent of his age he began his career as a violinist. He preferred to direct the orchestra at Köthen from the string section, and, thanks to friendship with the likes of Westhoff and Pisendel, understood the instrument inside out. Just how profound was that understanding can be deduced from the Sei Solo (Six Solos) for violin without bass accompaniment that were assembled in a manuscript dated 1720. Pinnacles of the German violin tradition, the pieces cast an inquisitive eye on developments in Italy, comprising of three Partitas that acknowledge the dance-led sovereignty of the French Suites, and three Sonatas laid out along Italian “Church” lines alternating movements slow(ish) and fast.