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Background:

• A set of six works, three sonatas da chiesa and three partitas in Baroque suite dance-form movements. The 2nd Partita is widely known for its chaconne, considered one of the most masterful and expressive works ever written for solo violin.
• The sonatas each consist of four movements, in the typical slow-fast-slow-fast pattern of the sonata da chiesa. The first two movements of each sonata are a prelude and a fugue. The third (slow) movement is lyrical, while the final movement shares the similar musical structure as a typical binary suite movement. Unlike the sonatas, the partitas are of more unorthodox design. Although still making use of the usual baroque style of allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue, with some omissions and the addition of galanteries, new elements were introduced into each partita to provide variety.
• They were completed in 1720 in Kothen, and published in 1802 by Nikolaus Simrock in Bonn. They were largely ignored until the celebrated violinist Joseph Joachim started performing them.
• The Sei Solo a Violino senza Basso accompagnato (Six Solos for Violin Without Bass Accompaniment), as Bach titled them, firmly established capability of the violin as a solo instrument. Today, they are an essential part of the violin repertoire, and are frequently performed and recorded.

Recordings:

• Sonatas & Partitas.
  Renaud Capucon (violin).
  Deutsche Grammophon.
  Presto Recording of the Week (2026).

• Sonatas & Partitas: BWV 1001 – 1003, 1004 – 1006.
  Isabelle Faust (violin).
  Harmonia Mundi.
  Diapason d’Or de l’Annee (2010): Winner Violin.
  Gramophone Magazine (2010): Editor’s Choice (Disc 2).
  Gramophone Magazine (2012): Editor’s Choice (Disc 1).

• Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin.
  Julia Fischer.
  Pentatone.
  BBC Music Magazine (2005): Disc of the Month.

• Complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin.
  Arthur Grumiaux (violin).
  HDTT.
  Voyager Golden Record for Partita No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006 (1977).

• Sonatas, Partitas.
  Alina Ibragimova (violin).
  Hyperion.
  Gramophone Magazine (2009): Editor’s Choice.
  Gramophone Magazine (2011): Collection Winner.

• Beethoven Diabelli Variations; Bach Partita No. 4.
  Stephen Kovacevich (piano).
  Onyx.
  Gramophone Awards (2009): Editor’s Choice.
  Gramophone Magazine (2009): Editor’s Choice.
  BBC Music Magazine Awards (2010): Finalist Instrumental.

• Opus 109: Beethoven, Bach, Schubert.
  Partita No. 6.
  Vikingur Olafsson (piano).
  Deutsche Grammophon.
  Presto Recording of the Week (2025).
  Presto Recordings of the Year (2025): Finalist.
  BBC Music Magazine (2026): Recording of the Month.

• Telemann, Bach, Britten, Shaw.
  Partita No. 2.
  Timothy Ridout (violin).
  Harmonia Mundi.
  BBC Music Magazine (2025): Recording of the Month.
  Gramophone Awards (2025): Finalist Instrumental.
  Gramophone Magazine (2025): Editor’s Choice.
  Opus Klassik Awards (20925): Young Talent of the Year.
  Presto Recording of the Week (2025).
  Presto Recordings of the Year (2025): Finalist.
  BBC Music Magazine Awards (2026): Winner Instrumental.

• Sonatas and Partitas.
  Leila Schayegh (violin).
  Glossa.
  Diapason d’Or (2021): Nouveaute.
  Diapason d’Or de l’Annee (2021): Baroque Instrumental.

• Sonatas & Partitas.
  Henryk Szeryng (violin).
  Deutsche Grammophon.

• Sonatas & Partitas.
  Christian Tetzlaff (violin).
  Ondine.
  Diapason d’Or de l’Annee (2017): Winner Violin.
  The Times records of the Year (2017).
  Schallplattenkritik Awards (2018): Winner Jahrespres.

• The Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin.
  Thomas Zehetmair (baroque violin).
  ECM.
  Opus Klassik Awards (2020): Winner Solo Instrumental Recital (Violin).
  The New York Times (2019): Recordings of the Year.

• Sonatas & Partitas: Volumes 1 & 2.
  Frank Peter Zimmermann (violin).
  BIS.
  BBC Music Magazine (2022): Instrumental Choice (Disc 1).

About Coram Deo

Coram Deo — before the face of God. This blog reflects on Scripture, world events, science, music, psychology, and the human mind — always through the lens of Christian faith. All of life is lived before the face of God.