- Table of contents :
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Sonata I in G Minor (Bach)
Sonata II in B Minor (Bach)
Sonata III in A Minor (Bach)
Sonata IV in D Minor (Bach)
Sonata V in C Major (Bach)
Sonata VI in E Major (Bach)
Since the violin works BWV 1001–6 did not appear in print during Bach’s lifetime, this autograph fair copy is its primary source. Today, when studying the solo sonatas and partitas, violinists generally refer to the autograph, which is readily available in a full-size facsimile from Bהrenreiter in Kassel. However, this only underscores the need for a modern edition, since even this almost calligraphic copy in Bach’s own hand contains ambiguities and even errors, particularly with regard to the unusually varied and sophisticated markings for the bow. Articulation and phrasing, generally left to the player’s discretion in the 18th century and seldom prescribed in the text, attain unusual importance in the case of Bach, especially in exceptional works such as the solo violin pieces.
