"Air on a G String" is taken from the second movement of Johan Sebastian Bach's orchestral suite No 3 in D major. I have arranged it in A because it feels, sits and sounds right to my ear. The piano accompaniment is no more than intermediate.

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Joseph-Hector Fiocco (1703-1741) is regarded as one of the most important Belgian composers of the late Baroque era.

The Allegro in G major was originally a movement from the Harpsichord Suites (Pieces de clavecin, Op. 1, 1730). The arrangement for violin and piano by A.Bent and N.O'Neill in 1910 made the piece very popular, particularly among violinists.

The piece makes demands on the player's left hand with its fast passages and virtuoso ornamentations and requires knowledge of all fingering patterns in first position. Occasionally, it is advisable to use third position to avoid major string changes. The passage work consists mostly of scale excerpts, triads, arpeggiation in thirds and sequences. The greatest challenge to master is the large number of string changes in a fast detache, which requires a flexible bow hand.

This edition is part of the new Schott Student Edition series which offers varied literature at five different levels of difficulty, from 1 (easy) to 5 (difficult), for instrumental lessons.