Johann Sebastian Bach sonatas and partitas for solo violin : aspects of performance on the instrument

Abstract

With self-imposed limitations J.S. Bach contrasted a maximum of musical content with a minimum of instrumental and tonal potential in his six sonatas and partitas for solo violin. This is a challenging task for any interpreter, and the purpose of this study is to help the violinist to improve his interpretation. Two fields of knowledge about the solos were investigated. The first one – the historical – has a strong but indirect impact on the artistic development of the interpreter, a comprehensive insight into the origin of the solos as well as into their reception up to this day by both audience and musicians. Such questions that were researched therefore include: (i) for which purpose did Bach compose the solos? (ii) which influences were important for him? (iii) was there a logical compositional development from an organ virtuoso to a violin composer? The other line – the performance – refers directly to the researcher’s final performance (BWV 1001, 1002, 1004) and deals with more concrete and practical issues resulting from an analysis of the compositions. On the one hand, numerous indications for a preferably mainstream-orientated (MS) interpretation of the solos were studied and discussed in the presentation of the Ciaccona. This investigation refers to technical aspects as well as to interpretative problems. On the other hand, the ‘Baroque Affective Theory’ is applied to the dance movements of the first and second partitas based on a Historically Informed Performance (HIP) approach. Some final reflections towards the interpretation of the final programme are given in the Conclusion.