Johann Sebastian Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo are among the most famous masterpieces of their kind. Unlike the closely related Suites for Violoncello Solo the Violin solos have survived in an autograph manuscript of the composer on the basis of which alone a largely reliable musical text is available. However this manuscript is a copy of previous draft copies or even further fair copies of the composer. Wiener Urtext Edition uses an early copyist's copy from Köthen as a secondary source which has not been valued very highly as a source until now. Despite its closeness to the extant autograph one cannot rule out thepossibility that this copy might be traced back to another original manuscript by Bach. At any rate some obvious mistakes of the extant fair copy can be clarified on the basis of its text; in addition it provides a number of articulations not indicated elsewhere (some even with alternatives) which are examples of how these works can be performed according to their time of origin. In the Notes of Interpretation Dagmar Glüxam explains the relationship between the musical-rhetorical contents of Bach's musical text and their adequate performance thus showing how absurd many a performance instruction of established interpretive editions is.

24 Etudes-Caprices Op. 41 by Delphin Alard (1815-1888) are excellent study material. Alard, the violin teacher of Sasasate, composed these studies in the 24 keys. Due to their musical variety, melodic beauty and cantabile voice leading, they are much more than technical studies; they might be described as character pieces in the best sense. The studies meet the two demands principally made on this genre: to both cover specifically certain technical tasks and be appealing as a music piece so that the musician likes to play them. Contenu - C major: playing three and four-part chords - playing in high positions on the G string - A minor: string-crossing - shifting with the left arm - spiccato bowing - G major: alternating double-stopping (melodic line)-solo line - E minor: cantabile melodic line - ornamentation - D major: double-stopping - harmonics - ricochet bowing - B minor: consistent legato bowing - expressive melodic line alternating with accompanying figures-A major: double-stopping (mainly in sixths) - three-part chords - ricochet bowing - F minor: legato study - E major: double-stopping (mainly in thirds) - C minor: playing a melody on one string - tremolo - B major: waltzes- lively dance-like patterns - G minor: ornamenting notes - long legato bowing - Gb major: legato string-crossing - Eb minor: lightness and elegance of tone - staccato - Db major: dotted rhythms - Bb minor: alternating solo melodic line- double-stopping - Ab major: Caprice for bringing out tone quality when playing legato - F minor: restless tied notes - lyrical lines in the middle section - Eb major: continuous tremolo accompanying figures - C minor: ricochet bowing - legato string-crossing - Bb major: alternating solo line- double-stopping - G minor: double-stopping with syncopations - F major: double-stopping dotted notes in horn-fifths - D minor: Bolero in virtuoso style - double-stopping - staccato bowing - lyrical middle section