The Sonata for violin and keyboard in G minor, BWV 1020
is almost certainly not a work by Bach; or, rather, it
is almost certainly not a work by J.S. Bach (it may in
fact have been composed by Johann Sebastian's son Carl
Philipp Emanuel Bach). Furthermore, it is not really
even a violin sonata -- whoever the work's author might
be, the intended ensemble seems actually to be flute
and harpsichord (or perhaps its smaller-toned cousin
the clavichord). But it is an elegant piece of
late-Baroque cham...(+)
The Sonata for violin and keyboard in G minor, BWV 1020
is almost certainly not a work by Bach; or, rather, it
is almost certainly not a work by J.S. Bach (it may in
fact have been composed by Johann Sebastian's son Carl
Philipp Emanuel Bach). Furthermore, it is not really
even a violin sonata -- whoever the work's author might
be, the intended ensemble seems actually to be flute
and harpsichord (or perhaps its smaller-toned cousin
the clavichord). But it is an elegant piece of
late-Baroque chamber music, and is not put to any shame
by its six worthy and unquestionably authentic brethren
(BWV 1014 - 1019).
If the Sonata in G minor is the only one of the
Bach-attributed violin/harpsichord sonatas to have
three rather than four (or, in one case, five)
movements. The opening movement has no tempo indication
but is built of vintage allegro stock. The entirety of
the opening ritornello, with its active figuration and
arpeggiated subject, is given to the harpsichord as a
solo; when the violin enters some bars later the music
briefly takes on a more spacious form -- but soon the
energetic ritornello creeps back in. The violin sings a
melody that grows from many long-held tones in the
Adagio second movement. The third movement is a
strong-boned Allegro into which from time to time
breaks a wonderfully peculiar repeated-note motif.
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 (or Flute) &
Keyboard, I created this Arrangement of the Sonata in G
Minor (BWV 1020) for Viola & Concert (Pedal) Harp.
SHEET MUSIC