Partita for keyboard No. 6, BWV 830

The Partita for keyboard No. 6 in E minor, BWV 830, is a suite of seven movements written for the harpsichord by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was published in 1731 both as a separate work and as part of Bach's Clavier-Übung I.

History

Prior to publication, two movements of BWV 830 formed part of the first version of the sixth sonata in E minor for obbligato harpsichord and violin, BWV 1019: the Corrente as a harpsichord solo; and the Tempo di gavotta as a duo for violin and harpsichord. The surviving manuscript, largely written by Bach's nephew Johann Heinrich Bach, has been dated to 1725; the harpsichord parts for these two movements were written by Bach himself. BWV 830 is the last suite in Bach's Clavier-Übung I, the first music published by Bach within his lifetime. The partitas were initially published separately, starting in 1726; the title page of the collection of six, published together in 1731, carries the designation "Opus 1".

Musical structure

This partita consists of seven movements all in E minor.

Reception and legacy

David Schulenberg describes this partita: "The Sixth Partita is the crowning work of the set and Bach's greatest suite. The allemande and sarabande contain some of the most audacious and dramatic melodic embellishment ever written, and the work opens and closes with two particularly ambitious contrapuntal movements." Peter Williams, however, considers that some movements from Clavier-Übung I that were composed earlier than others, such as the Gigue from BWV 830, have a "grinding quality that is totally absent from the elegant and novel No. 1."

Martin Gester [fr] says about Sarabande in his notes in the booklet to his recording of partitas: "As for the following Sarabande, it plunges us into deep reflection. It is a pure lamento and perhaps the most intensely expressive piece in all of Bach's works for harpsichord."

American composer George Rochberg's harpsichord fantasia Nach Bach contains direct musical quotations from this partita.

Notes

Schulenberg 2006.
Jones 2013, pp. 101–102.
Williams 2016, pp. 318–322.
Schulenberg 2006, p. 340.
Williams 2016, p. 319.
Gester 2014.
Thomas 1987

References

Selected published editions

Bach, J. S. (2004), Klaus Engler (ed.), 6 Partiten, BWV 825–830, Wiener Urtext Edition, Schott/Universal Edition (contains detailed preface by Engler)
Bach, J. S. (2008), Richard D. Jones (ed.), Six Partitas, BWV 825–830, First Part of the Clavier Übung, Bärenreiter, ISMN 9790006465835 (contains detailed preface by Jones together with facsimiles of publications 1726–1731)

Books and journal articles

Gester, Martin (February 2014). "The Partitas (BWV 825–830)" (PDF). p. 9. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
— (19 March 2020). "Bach: Clavier-übung 1 (engl) – The Partitas BWV 825–830". Retrieved 11 December 2022.
Jones, Richard D. P. (2013), The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach, Volume II: 1717–1750: Music to Delight the Spirit, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780199696284
Schulenberg, David (2006), The Keyboard Music of J.S. Bach (second ed.), New York and London: Routledge, pp. 342–345, ISBN 0415974003
Thomas, Martha Lynn (1987). Analysis of George Rochberg's 'Twelve Bagatelles' and Nach Bach for Solo Harpsichord (DMA diss thesis). University of Texas at Austin.
Williams, Peter (2016), Bach: A Musical Biography, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-1107139251

External links

6 Partitas for keyboard, BWV 825–830: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
Partita No 6 E minor, BWV 830 on YouTube, Murray Perahia

v t e Compositions for organ, keyboard and lute by Johann Sebastian Bach
Organ	Fugue in G minor, BWV 131a (doubtful) Sonatas, BWV 525–530 Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 531 Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 532 Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 537 Toccata and Fugue in D minor ("Dorian"), BWV 538 Toccata and Fugue in F major, BWV 540 Fantasia and Fugue in G minor ("Great"), BWV 542 Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543 Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV 544 Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 546 Prelude and Fugue in E minor ("Wedge"), BWV 548 Eight Short Preludes and Fugues, BWV 553–560 (doubtful) Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 562 Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564 Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 (doubtful) Prelude (Toccata) and Fugue in E major, BWV 566 Fantasia ("Pièce d'Orgue") in G major, BWV 572 Fugue in G minor ("Little"), BWV 578 Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 Concertos, BWV 592–597 Orgelbüchlein, BWV 599–644 Schübler Chorales, BWV 645–650 Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, BWV 651–668 Chorale partita Sei gegrüßet, Jesu gütig, BWV 768 Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her", BWV 769 Neumeister chorales, BWV 1090–1120 Chorale fantasia Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält, BWV 1128
Keyboard	Inventions and Sinfonias, BWV 772–801 English Suites, BWV 806–811 French Suites, BWV 812–817 Partitas, BWV 825–830 No. 2 No. 4 No. 6 Overture in the French style, BWV 831 Well-Tempered Clavier, BWV 846–893 Book 1 No. 1 in C major No. 2 in C minor No. 3 in C♯ major No. 4 in C♯ minor No. 7 in E♭ major No. 10 in E minor No. 16 in G minor No. 21 in B♭ major No. 22 in B♭ minor Book 2 No. 1 in C major No. 2 in C minor No. 3 in C♯ major No. 4 in C♯ minor No. 5 in D major No. 6 in D minor No. 12 in F minor No. 13 in F♯ major No. 18 in G♯ minor No. 22 in B♭ minor No. 24 in B minor Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 906 Toccatas, BWV 910–916 Six Little Preludes, BWV 933–938 Italian Concerto Harpsichord solo concertos Goldberg Variations discography Gould recording Aria variata alla maniera italiana Capriccio on the departure of a beloved brother
Lute	Suite in G minor, BWV 995 Suite in E minor, BWV 996 Bourrée Suite in C minor, BWV 997 Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E♭ major, BWV 998 Prelude in C minor, BWV 999 Fugue in G minor, BWV 1000
Mixed collections	Clavier-Übung III: Prelude and Fugue in E♭ major ("St. Anne"), BWV 552, Chorale preludes, BWV 669–689, Duets, BWV 802–805 Concerto transcriptions, BWV 592–596 and 972–987 Klavierbüchlein W. F. Bach Notebook A. M. Bach Twelve Little Preludes
List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach List of fugal works by Johann Sebastian Bach List of concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach

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