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Bach Violin Sonatas and PartitasYou can download all the sonatas and partitas in Ogg Vorbis format for free, at the end of this page. I recommend you to download these pieces, they are some of the greatest creations of humankind, you can't ignore them. If you like what you hear, you maybe would want to buy a quality recording. In 1710 Bach met Georg Pisendel, the violinist of the Dresden Court Orchestra. It is not known if it was him who inspired or commissioned Bach to compose the works for solo violin, but he was surely responsible of getting Bach acquainted with many of Vivaldi’s works, which were a great influence on him.
First page of the manuscript of the First SonataThis work is originally titled “Sei Solo à Violino senza Basso accompagnato. Libro Primo”. That is, six solos for violin without accompanying bass. He adds a mysterious “Libro primo” (first book). We don’t know if he intended to write a second book, or if it has been lost. We don’t know who was the first performer, if it was the aforementioned violinist Georg Pisendel, or Bach himself. His father and grandfather are known to have been good violinists, and in his Weimar period he advanced to concertmaster, even if he later preferred the viola. The cycle of six works was finished in 1720. The sonatas are stricter in form, all three are four-movement sonata da chiesa, with the alternation of slow and fast movements. With the second movement always being a fugue. The partitas are more suite-like, with varying dance movements, between five and seven in number.
The first movement, the adagio is not only meant as the opening of the first sonata, but as the prelude of the entire cycle, that I think shares a common theme. The fugue is one of my favorites movements. And it looks like Bach also loved this piece, because he reworked it for organ as BWV 539, for lute as BWV 1000 and also (but not exactly) as the fugue in G minor for violin and basso continuo BWV 1026. I can only imagine how difficult is to write a three-voice fugue for a violin. Between development sections of the fugue there are some interludes that loosen up the strict structure and makes a much more pleasant listening. The siciliana is so calming after those intellectually demanding movements. The concluding presto is contrasting with it lively fast figures. Johannes Brahms liked so much this movement that he immediately arranged it for piano. Sheet music for guitar
I think of this partita as an exposition of themes that Bach then explains. The structure is that of the classic suite movements Allemanda, Courante, Sarabande and Bourée (that here replaces the gigue that usually concludes a suite). These are the themes exposed. Each of these movements is followed by a Double. Which for the most part are melodic variations of the preceding movements, they are the explanations or commentaries.
After a tranquil introduction with the grave movement comes a monumental fugue, which its main theme consists only of eight notes. From those notes Bach created a contrapuntal masterpiece. The andante is more simple but doesn’t lose compositional value. (Actually, I had more pleasure listening to this charming little movement than the preceding fugue). The final Allegro has interesting echo effects. For this piece of music which is my favorite of all time I created a special and separate page.
The introductory adagio is like it was written for the organ more than for a violin. It sounds great anyway. The same could be said about the fugue that follows. With its 354 measures is the longest of the entire set. In it he uses the theme from his cantata Veni Sancte Spiritus (come Holy Spirit) at the beginning, as invoking the Holy Spirit for the success of his most ambitious work.
The preludio was used in the cantata Wir danken dir, Gott BWV 29, the violin melody played by an organ and the accompaniment by an orchestra. This shows Bach’s versality as well as his mentality towards his own works. He had more interest in the concept and content of a work than on the performance on a determined instrument. Another example of this is the first Sonata, which he wrote for numerous instruments; as also the monumental Art of the Fugue, for which there isn’t even an specified instrument! The rest of movements are in French style. With a slow Loure, a tastefully repetitive Gavotte en Rondeau and two joyful minuets and a bourée. And the traditional gigue that I always like and makes the perfect finale for one of the greatest creations of human mind. 
Sonatas & Partitas For Violin by Henryk SzeryngI recommend this recording by relatively unknown violinist Henryk Szeryng. I've heard many, many performances of these masterpieces, and I can't know which is the "best", because there isn't any that is better than other, they are just different. The reason that I choose this particularly is mainly that Szeryng is only a performer, not a showman. When you hear to this CD you listen to Bach, not Szeryng. Heifetz interpretation is remarkable, but when you hear it you know that it is Heifetz, somewhat overshadowing the composer. Here, the performer steps out and leaves room for the composer. His technique is clean and smooth. The technical challenges do not interfere with the musical experience. Both the contemplative slow movements and the fast paced ones show the great mastery of the performer. My personal favorite. Buy it!Return from Bach Violin Sonatas and Partitas to Bach's Main Page
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