Bach - Partita No. 1 in B minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1002 (PDF Sheet Music / Digital Download)

The Partita No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002, stands as a structurally unique monument within Johann Sebastian Bach’s Six Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin. Composed around 1720 during his tenure in Cöthen, it diverges from the standard dance suite by pairing each of the four core movements—Allemanda, Corrente, Sarabande, and Tempo di Borea—with a subsequent "Double." These Doubles are elaborate melodic variations that retain the underlying harmonic progression of the preceding dance while transforming the rhythmic character into a continuous flow of eighth or sixteenth notes. This architecture demands extraordinary technical control and a deep understanding of polyphonic "implied" harmony, as the performer must convey multiple voices and complex textures on a single four-stringed instrument.

This edition is a reissue of music originally published by G. Schirmer, New York.