Bach: Andante from Violin Sonata in A minor BWV1003

The six Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin by Bach are at the apex of violin literature, considered essential repertory for professionals and aspiring violinists. Not only are they technically demanding for performers, they showcase Bach's mastery of polyphonic composition, despite being for a solo instrument that is not usually asked be anything other than melodic. In the Andante of the second sonata (BWV1003), Bach weaves a rich tapestry of voices within a single violin line, creating an illusion of multiple independent melodies over a pulsating accompaniment. The multi-layered texture of this movement lends itself well to reinterpretation for different media. Bach himself transcribed it for keyboard (BWV 964), and there exist transcriptions by Raff, Saint-Saens, Godowsky, Schumann, and others. This arrangement for string quartet follows in their footsteps.