Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin in D minor, BWV1004

The Partita opens with an Allemande, a flowing dance in a moderate walking tempo, followed by a quicker Courante with a rolling, running line. The Sarabande slows everything down: a stately triple-meter dance built on full, ringing chords that let the violin sound almost like two instruments at once. A brisk Gigue, in a bouncing dance rhythm, closes the first four movements with energy and lift.

Then comes the Chaconne, a movement as long as the first four combined, often 13 to 15 minutes on its own. It is built from a short repeating bass pattern, stated plainly at the start, then varied dozens of times in a row. Listen for the pattern's return each time, even as the music above it grows more elaborate, moving through fast arpeggios, sustained melodic lines, and passages where the violin seems to play several voices at once. The movement shifts partway through to a brighter, major-key section before returning to the darker opening mood for its final variations. There are no breaks within the Chaconne itself, and audiences often sit in silence at its close before applauding.

Bach wrote his six Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, of which this is the fifth work, around 1720, while serving as court composer in Cöthen. They survive in a manuscript in his own hand dated that year, though nothing certain is known about their first performance or intended player. The set circulated mostly among violinists and connoisseurs for over a century after Bach's death, valued as a study in what a single violin could do without any accompaniment. The closing Chaconne, in particular, drew the attention of later composers, including Johannes Brahms and Ferruccio Busoni, who each made their own arrangements for other instruments. Today the Partita is a staple of solo violin recitals and has also been adapted for other instruments, including mandolin, guitar, and piano.