The six Partitas (BWV 825-830) are part of Bach's
Clavier-Übung, but were published singly, beginning in
1726 with this B flat major effort. A new partita
appeared each year thereafter until 1731, when the
whole collection was issued. Each of the six is a suite
containing allemandes, sarabandes, minuets, and various
other dances and numbers. The B flat major Partita
consists of seven short movements, the first being a
praeludium, a moderately paced piece so typical of
Bach's music in its statel...(+)
The six Partitas (BWV 825-830) are part of Bach's
Clavier-Übung, but were published singly, beginning in
1726 with this B flat major effort. A new partita
appeared each year thereafter until 1731, when the
whole collection was issued. Each of the six is a suite
containing allemandes, sarabandes, minuets, and various
other dances and numbers. The B flat major Partita
consists of seven short movements, the first being a
praeludium, a moderately paced piece so typical of
Bach's music in its stately confidence, serene joy, and
deftly wrought contrapuntal writing. There follow an
allemande, corrente (courante), sarabande, and gigue
which comprise the standard sequence of dances that
make up a partita. Actually, Bach inserted two brief
minuets between the sarabande and gigue.
While this partita and the four that followed appeared
after 1726, all were written during that year, a year
that saw publication of the B flat major piece first.
Bach published a new partita each year until 1731, when
all six appeared together. Each of these works consists
of dances -- typically an Allemande, Courante,
Sarabande, and Gigue -- and other pieces, forming a
whole that could just as easily have been called a
suite. They generally show Bach's lighter side, though
there is a fair share of serious music here, too. All
the partitas have seven movements except for this C
minor effort, which comprises six. Another unusual
aspect is its exclusion of a Gigue at the close, where
Bach substituted a Rondeau and Capriccio.
This suite opens with a Sinfonia which, speaking of
serious music, achieves a depth of expression to rival
much of Bach's more profound keyboard music. It is in
three sections, the first ponderous and dramatic, the
succeeding two having progressively faster tempos. The
theme in the second section has a soothing serenity in
its animated nonchalance, while the final part is
lively and light in its variant of this theme, and
brims with Bach's deft counterpoint and rhythmic
subtlety.
The Allemande that follows is somewhat subdued but
features an undercurrent of contrapuntal activity with
many delicious details that often come refreshingly to
the foreground. The remaining four numbers are much
shorter and lighter in expressive content. Best among
them may be the ensuing Courante, a sunny, graceful
piece whose contrapuntal elements seem to blend rather
than conjure, imply rather than articulate.
The ensuing Sarabande is slow, almost hymn-like in its
solemn yet soothing manner. The lively Rondeau that
follows is jumpy and full of playfulness, while the
closing Capriccio is meatier, both in its muscular
first section and in the inversion of material from the
opening that comes in the latter half. It is also quite
a challenging finale for the performer.
Source: Allmusic
(http://www.allmusic.com/composition/partita-for-keyboa
rd-no-2-in-c-minor-bwv-826-bc-l2-mc0002390429).
Although originally written for Harpsichord. I created
this Arrangement of the Sarabande from the Partita in C
Minor (BWV 826 No. 4) for Oboe & Cello.
