String instruments > Violin solo
Johann Sebastian Bach
Sonatas and Partitas BWV 1001-1006 for Violin solo
Editor: Klaus Rönnau
Fing. vn: Wolfgang Schneiderhan
25.00 €
Urtext Edition, paperbound
with marked and unmarked string parts
Pages: 141 (V, 63, V, 68), Size 23,5 x 31,0 cm
Order no. HN 356 · ISMN 979-0-2018-0356-2
Bach’s six violin soli have come down to us in a particularly beautiful fair copy made by the composer himself. They, along with the six cello suites, are regarded as musical and technical milestones of musical literature. Bach skillfully employs the resources of the violin to produce genuine polyphony in some sections through the use of arpeggiated chords and double stops. The culmination of these achievements is the famous Chaconne from the second Partita, which achieves great musical density while presenting the violinist with previously unheard-of technical challenges.
Contents
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Sonata I g minor BWV 1001
ABRSM: Grade 8Other titles for this instrument and ABRSM grade »
ABRSM: LRSMOther titles for this instrument and ABRSM grade »
ABRSM: FRSMOther titles for this instrument and ABRSM grade » -
Sonata I: Adagio BWV 1001
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Sonata I: Fuga BWV 1001
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 8)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Sonata I: Siciliana BWV 1001
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Sonata I: Presto BWV 1001
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita I b minor BWV 1002
ABRSM: LRSMOther titles for this instrument and ABRSM grade » -
Partita I: Allemanda BWV 1002
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita I: Double (1) BWV 1002
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita I: Corrente BWV 1002
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita I: Double (2) BWV 1002
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita I: Sarabande BWV 1002
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita I: Double (3) BWV 1002
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita I: Tempo di Borea BWV 1002
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita I: Double (4) BWV 1002
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Sonata II a minor BWV 1003
ABRSM: LRSMOther titles for this instrument and ABRSM grade » -
Sonata II: Grave BWV 1003
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Sonata II: Fuga BWV 1003
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 8)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Sonata II: Andante BWV 1003
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Sonata II: Allegro BWV 1003
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » - Partita II d minor BWV 1004
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Partita II: Allemanda BWV 1004
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita II: Corrente BWV 1004
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita II: Sarabanda BWV 1004
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita II: Giga BWV 1004
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita II: Ciaccona BWV 1004
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 9)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Sonata III C major BWV 1005
ABRSM: LRSMOther titles for this instrument and ABRSM grade » -
Sonata III: Adagio BWV 1005
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Sonata III: Fuga BWV 1005
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 9)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Sonata III: Largo BWV 1005
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Sonata III: Allegro assai BWV 1005
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita III E major BWV 1006
ABRSM: DipABRSMOther titles for this instrument and ABRSM grade »
ABRSM: FRSMOther titles for this instrument and ABRSM grade » -
Partita III: Preludio BWV 1006
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita III: Loure BWV 1006
Level of difficulty (Violin): difficult (Level 7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita III: Gavotte en Rondeau BWV 1006
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita III: Menuet I BWV 1006
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita III: Menuet II BWV 1006
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita III: Bourée BWV 1006
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Partita III: Gigue BWV 1006
Level of difficulty (Violin): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty »
The levels of difficulty of the
music for violin published by G. Henle Publishers
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| easy | medium | difficult | ||||||
The levels of difficulty of the violin music published by G. Henle Publishers
| Level | Degree | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | easy | Beethoven, 6 German Dances WoO 42 |
| 2 | Beethoven, Rondo G major WoO 41 |
|
| 3 | Mozart, Violin Sonata F major KV 547 |
|
| 4 | medium | Haydn, Violin Concerto A major Hob. VIIa:3 |
| 5 | Bach, Violin Concerto a minor BWV 1041 |
|
| 6 | Brahms, Violin Sonata G major op. 78 |
|
| 7 | difficult | Paganini, No. 9 from Capricci op. 1 |
| 8 | Beethoven, Violin Concerto D major op. 61 |
|
| 9 | Berg, Violin Concerto |
I have assigned all of the violin music in G. Henle Publishers' catalogue a level of difficulty, ranging from "very easy" to "very difficult". The model for this was the evaluation system with nine levels developed for Henle's piano catalogue by Rolf Koenen. Unlike the works for solo piano, I have decided against evaluations that lie between two levels (e.g. 4/5 or 7/8).
This kind of attempt will always be "relative" to some degree. While the work remains the work, what is relative is the technical and musical ability of the player. Let us take a look at Mozart, for example, from the perspective of an Arthur Grumiaux and from that of a very young pupil. It is clear to whom my levels of difficulty are addressed: to the pupils or their teacher. I have, of course, always endeavoured to objectively assess the purely technical level of difficulty. But everything "between the lines" is, of course, left up to the judgement of each individual musician. Depending on our abilities, we perceive the "difficulty" of a work for violin differently, yet with the same conviction.
At the start, categorizing violin literature into levels of difficulty from 1 to 9 seemed to carry a certain risk as well as being unknown territory, yet I have now gained a deep insight into all of the works for violin in G. Henle Publishers' catalogue.
Ernst Schliephake © 2013