Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) was a German
composer and musician of the Baroque period. He
enriched established German styles through his mastery
of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organization, and
his adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from
abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's
compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the
Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two Passions,
and over three hundred cantatas of which approximately
two hundred survive.His ...(+)
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) was a German
composer and musician of the Baroque period. He
enriched established German styles through his mastery
of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organization, and
his adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from
abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's
compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the
Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two Passions,
and over three hundred cantatas of which approximately
two hundred survive.His music is revered for its
technical command, artistic beauty, and intellectual
depth. While Bach's abilities as an organist were
highly respected during his lifetime, he was not widely
recognised as an important composer until a revival of
interest in his music during the first half of the 19th
century. He is now generally regarded as one of the
greatest composers of all time.
The Sonata for Violin and Keyboard in G major, BWV
1019, is the last of six violin sonatas Bach wrote
before 1725, most likely while he was Kapellmeister at
Cöthen, and revised several years later. Bach may have
written them for Prince Leopold to perform, later
revising them for his own performance at his Leipzig
concerts. The sonatas as a whole are technically
accessible to amateurs, while containing musical
subtleties to be explored by fine musicians. Typical
Baroque sonatas for two instruments indicated that
there were two contrapuntal solo lines plus a basso
continuo. Bach combined the second solo voice and
continuo into the keyboard part, making the keyboard
more of a partner to the violin and utilizing the
strengths of both instruments.
This sonata differs from the other five in that it is
comprised of five movements instead of four. In its
final version, an extra Allegro precedes the
slow-fast-slow-fast structure of the rest of the
sonata. As with other late Baroque sonatas, each
movement conveys a particular emotion, or Affekt. The
opening Allegro should portray brilliancy. Smooth,
flashy running lines in the violin and keyboard right
hand fit together closely. The Largo, in E minor, is
sorrowful with its singing violin melody supported by a
more embellished keyboard countermelody. The third
movement, a second Allegro and also in E minor, is for
keyboard alone. It displays a pensive and somewhat sad
mood, with writing similar to that of his Two-Part
Inventions. The fourth movement, Adagio, should be
affected with melancholy, "the singular spun out
rhythms and the rich harmony of the movement border on
the bizarre." It begins with the keyboard stating the
slow, B minor melody followed by the violin, passing it
back and forth throughout. Syncopations make the
listener wait breathlessly for resolution of the
harmonies. The last movement is a lively Allegro, based
on a theme from the cantata Weichet nur, betrübte
Schatten, BWV 202. Back in G major, it is at turns
bouncy and fluid, with quick trills attached to
sixty-fourth notes and emphasis on the off-beats
enlivening the movement.
In the first version of the sonata, the fourth movement
had been another Adagio, a variation on the Courante
and Gavotte of Partita No. 6 for keyboard, BWV 830. In
the second version of the sonata, the keyboard Allegro
was replaced by a Cantabile ma un poco Adagio for both
instruments that had the Affekt of "wheedling (coaxing)
and expressive." This was based on an aria from the
cantata Gott, man lobet dich in der stille, BWV
120.
Although originally written for Violin & Harpsichord, I
created this Arrangement of the Sonata No. 6 in G Major
(BWV 1019) for String Trio (Violin, Viola & Cello).
PARTITION