Six Sonatas and Partitas S. 1001-1006

All three Sonatas follow the traditional pattern of the sonata da chiesa, with four movements alternately slow-fast, fast-slow. The three Partitas, or suites, are paired with the Sonatas. In all, Bach used nine different dance forms, and each Partita has an identity of its own. In the first suite, for example, each movement is followed by a double, or variation. The second Partita begins with the usual sequence of movements found in many suites of this period A-- allemanda, corrente, sarabanda, and giga. But then Bach quite unconventionally appended the monumental ciacona, or chaconne. This had its origin in a Spanish dance form, but in BachA's hands it becomes a remarkable set of variations A-- one of the supreme statements of his entire instrumental output. The third Partita opens with a brilliant prelude which later was adapted for organ with orchestral accompaniment, and was adapted for organ with orchestral accompaniment, and was used as the prelude to Cantata No. 29, A"Wir danken dir, Gott.A" The other four movements of the Partita are dances exclusively of French origin.