J.S. Bach's sonatas and partitas for solo violin have been central to the violin repertoire since the mid-18th century. This engaging introduction to these works is the first comprehensive exploration of their place within Bach's music, focusing on their structural and stylistic features as they have been perceived since their creation. Combining an analytical study, a historical guide, and an insightful introduction to Bach's style, this book will help violinists, scholars, and other listeners develop a deeper personal involvement with many aspects of these wonderful pieces.

The complete six Sonatas and Partitas for solo Violin (BWV 1001-1006) by Johann Sebastian Bach transcribed for guitar in standard notation and tablature. Composed between 1714 and 1720 but not published until 1802, Bach's Sonatas and Partitas are an essential part of the violin repertoire, and they are frequently performed and recorded. The pieces often served as archetypes for solo violin pieces by later generations of composers. Sonata No.1 in G minor BWV 1001 Partita No.1 in B minor BWV 1002 Sonata No.2 in A minor BWV 1003 Partita No.2 in D minor BWV 1004 Sonata No.3 in C major BWV 1005 Partita No.3 in E major BWV 1006

Known around the world for his advocacy of early historical performance and as a skilled violin performer and pedagogue, Stanley Ritchie has developed a technical guide to the interpretation and performance of J. S. Bach's enigmatic sonatas and partitas for solo violin. Unlike typical Baroque compositions, Bach's six solos are uniquely free of accompaniment. To add depth and texture to the pieces, Bach incorporated various techniques to bring out a multitude of voices from four strings and one bow, including arpeggios across strings, multiple stopping, opposing tonal ranges, and deft bowing. Published in 1802, over 80 years after its completion in 1720, Bach's manuscript is without expression marks, leaving the performer to freely interpret the dynamics, fingering, bowings, and articulations. Marshaling a lifetime of experience, Stanley Ritchie provides violinists with deep insights into the interpretation and technicalities at the heart of these challenging pieces.

The Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin (BWV 1001–1006) consist of three sonatas da chiesa in four movements, and three partitas in dance-form movements. The set was completed by 1720, but was largely ignored at first. Today, Bach's Sonatas and Partitas are an essential part of the violin repertoire.

This book contains the first three of J.S. Bach's solo violin Sonatas and Partitas arranged for mandolin. The goal of the material is to make learning these challenging pieces easier. Mandolin tablature is included throughout the book. Mandolinists who have little or no experience reading standard notation will find this to be an essential learning tool. For good reason, there has been widespread interest in learning these pieces in the mandolin community. The pieces were originally written for violin. As a result, Bach's use of string crossing patterns and open-string pedals work brilliantly on the mandolin. Also, as solo works they are a useful addition to anyone's performing repertoire. Lastly, even if never performed, learning all or some of these is wonderful for building mandolin technique. Violinists often say that if you can play the Bach Solo Sonatas and Partitas you can play anything-the same is certainly true for mandolinists

It is one of Josef Joachim’s great merits, not only to have introduced the following sonatas of Johann Sebastian Bach into the Concert-Hall, but also to have made them loved by the great public. They were almost unknown before Joachim played them with his grand art of interpretation, and brought out all the beauties of this magnificent music. Some parts of these sonatas had been played in public by certain violinists before Joachim’s time, but as the spirit and the technique of these works were quite strange to the performers, the interpretation made a ridiculous impression on the audience. Any success was made quite impossible on account of the want of knowledge in the performers. Then came Joachim and his rendering was a revelation. How be played, and interpreted these sonatas is so well-known, that it is not necessary to mention it. When I completed my studies at the Berliner Hochschule under Joachim’s direction, the study of these sonatas formed one of the most important parts of his teaching. Joachim used the very excellent edition by Ferdinand David, based on Bach’s manuscript, to be found in the Royal Library in Berlin. All the same Joachim changed a great deal in this edition, with regard to the manner of playing, bowing, fingering and marks of interpretation, and I kept to all the alterations made by him. I very often had the opportunity of hearing Joachim play these works at concerts as well as during his classes, and so I was able to observe the fineness of his interpretation down to the smallest detail. As I am publishing the standard works of violin literature in connection with my own teaching, it was a special pleasure to me to revise these Sonatas — which I consider one of the most important works written for the violin — in such a manner, that no doubt may be left as to the best and easiest way of mastering the great and unusual difficulties which they contain. I hope to show by this to all young violin-artists, to whom the study of the following sonatas cannot be too strongly recommended — a sure way to a really perfect and beautiful rendering of the same.

Dr. Lawrence Golan's edition of Bach's masterpieces for solo violin combines the authenticity and accuracy of a Scholarly Urtext Edition with the practicality and helpfulness of a Performing Edition. A facsimile of Bach's autograph manuscript was used in the preparation of this edition and the composer's intentions have been preserved to the last detail. of particular note is the fact that all stems have been beamed together as they appear in the autograph manuscript. This is of great importance when making interpretive decisions regarding dotted rhythms. Helpful fingering and bowing suggestions are provided by the editor, but are clearly distinguished from Bach's original notation, allowing the performer the freedom to accept or reject any given suggestion. the volume comes complete with Dr. Golan's essay Performing Bach: Dotted Rhythms and Trills in the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, which also includes scholarly discussions of vibrato, fingerings, bowing styles, and ritardandos in Baroque music. the inclusion of this comprehensive study of Baroque performance practices makes this edition a must for any violinist interested in performing the Bach Sonatas and Partitas in an historically informed manner.