Title: J. S. Bach -Chaconne from Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin, BWV 1004 Source:
YouTube URL Source:http://youtube.com/watch?v=UFdbQtu2A4Q Published:May 18, 2007 Author:Johann Sebastian Bach Post Date:2007-05-18 20:19:18 by Peetie Wheatstraw Ping List:*Music Club* Keywords:None Views:248 Comments:10
Violinist Nathan Milstein - Part I
Violinist Nathan Milstein - Part II
Violinist Jascha Heifetz - Part I
Violinist Jascha Heifetz - Part II
Poster Comment:
Just one of the movements of the Partita for Solo Violin in D Minor, BWV 1004, this is a titanic work, lasting nearly fifteen minutes in full - hence the performances given here are divided in two parts.
This chaconne (or ciaccona) is considered a summit of the solo violin repertoire, covering practically every aspect of violin-playing known during Bach's time. It is among the most difficult pieces to play for that instrument and is commonly included as a required repertoire piece in violin competitions all over the world.
Johannes Brahms, in a letter to Clara Schumann, said about the chaconne: "On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagined that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind."
Bach was born about 100 years before the tourte bow was developed. That's the recurved violin bow that we are used to seeing. What they used on the violin, viola de gamba and braccio were bows similar to that now used on a double base. Sort of a bow and arrow type bow.
They inserted their thumbs betweent he bow and the string and controlled the bow hair tension that way - nowdays you screw back the frog. So the score is even more complex that what it appears to be. Not only is their pitch, tone and bow motion to control, there was also bow hair tension. The close control of bow hair tension however did allow them to chord better than you can today with the tourte bow.