Scribbler

Johann Sebastian Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, cousins to the Six Cello Suites written around the same period, are certainly to be placed at the pinnacle of the entire violin repertoire; however, they were not meant to be insurmountable. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), ever the keen pedagogue, always composed music that was intended to be played as well as contemplated. His sons, and generations of budding musicians ever since, learned this the hard way, only to be later gratified in abundance. They all have crossed swords with the Orgelbüchlein, the Clavierbüchlein, the Well-Tempered Clavier or the aforementioned collections for solo stringed instrument, and they were bettered by them. It has been suggested these sonatas, partitas and suites must have been unplayable in the age of their composition.