1004 J. S. Bach Violin partita No. 2 in D minor BWV 1004 All of Bach

00:02 1. Allemande 05:00 2. Courante 07:42 3. Sarabande 11:38 4. Gigue 16:01 5. Chaconne 29:24 Commentary VIOLIN Shunske Sato YEAR 1720 CITY Köthen Glancing at the movements of Bachs Partita in A minor reveals little of the wonder that awaits the listener: four dances as usual in Baroque suites followed by a Chaconne. The latter form, a series of variations on a stately dance, was actually already out of fashion in Bachs day, but it was not the first time the composer had breathed new life into a musical archaism (take the viola da gamba, for instance). But then look at the notes themselves: magnificent architecture, unprecedented musical frugality and a task for the violinist that is equally hellish and rewarding. Of the four normal movements, the three quick ones are the easiest. The Allemande and the Gigue are even completely monophonic, while it is only in the Courante that Bach gives a hint of an accompanying bass line. In the Sarabande, the harmony is more emphatically present, while the rhy