Bwv 1001 1006

Bach’s sonatas and partitas for solo violin are pinnacles of the repertoire—beautiful, mysterious works that test a violinist’s technical and musical skills to their limits. It’s music that’s perfectly suited to Giuliano Carmignola, one of today’s great Baroque performers. His playing has a beguiling rhythmic freedom that highlights the music’s spontaneity and an expressiveness that penetrates its soul. The Presto from the Sonata No. 1, one of Bach’s most exhilarating movements, is a thrilling ride, while the tender Sarabande from Partita No. 1 sings and sighs. And the Chaconne from the second partita, an astonishing 14-minute set of 32 variations, emerges glorious, noble, and majestic—a miracle of Baroque performance.

The sonatas and partitas for solo violin (BWV 1001–1006) are a set of six works composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. They are sometimes referred to in English as the sonatas and partias for solo violin in accordance with Bach's headings in the autograph manuscript: "Partia" (plural "Partien") was commonly used in German-speaking regions during Bach's time, whereas the Italian "partita" was introduced to this set in the 1879 Bach Gesellschaft edition, having become standard by that time. The set consists of three sonatas da chiesa in four movements and three partitas (or partias) in dance-form movements. The 2nd Partita is widely known for its Chaconne, considered one of the most masterly and expressive works ever written for solo violin.

Johann Sebastian Bach - Sigiswald Kuijken - Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
2xCD | EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 717 MB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Deutsche Harmonia Mundi # GD 77043 | Country/Year: Germany 1988, 1981
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque

Sigiswald Kuijken has been a pioneer in performing and teaching Baroque violin technique. He and his brothers were all exposed to early instruments as youngsters. Sigiswald and Wieland intuitively taught themselves how to play the viola da gamba. Sigiswald studied violin at the conservatory in Bruges, then in Brussels with Maurice Raskin, earning his degree in 1964. After doing his own research into Baroque performance practice, Kuijken began playing Baroque works on the violin without using a chinrest or shoulder rest and, in fact, not using his chin at all to hold the instrument…

With The All-Baroque Box we realize one of our fondest dreams: harnessing the deep catalogue of Archiv Produktion (supplemented on occasion by Decca L oiseau lyre recordings) to create a comprehensive collection of great music from Monteverdi to Bach. The music ranges from huge Baroque (Missa Salisburgensis, Venetian polychoral, Charpentier Te Deum) to intimate Baroque (the Goldberg Variations, Bach cello suites, solo cantatas) overwhelming in its impact and emotional content.