Music: Johann Sebastian Bach and Violin Essay

Submitted By babyphat0275
Words: 514
Pages: 3

1. Chaconne for Violin or (Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BMC 1004) composed by Johann Sebastian Bach

From the listening list 8 and spectrum table 3, we learned that the violin is usually accompanied with another instrument, whether it is a harmonic instrument or a keyboard. In this piece Bach is trying to display that a violin doesn’t need another instrument and that it can produce multiple melodic lines at the same time without accompany. This Partita contains 5 movements, which consists of Allemanda, Corrente, Sarabanda, Giga and Ciaccona (Chaconne) which is the piece I listened to. Rumor has it that Bach wrote this last piece (Chaconne) in memory of his first wife, after he returned from a trip to discover that she had died. This ciaccona or chaconne is considered a “pinnacle” of the solo violin range in that it covers every aspect of violin-playing known during Bach's time and therefore it is among the most difficult pieces to play for that instrument.

I felt that the Social Component of this piece was to have the purpose of Personal and Communal Identification. The use of chords, doubles stops and the drastic change of low to high pitch, the consonance of the strings was meant to show the audience that even with 4 strings, the violin was capable of producing many harmonious lines. The purpose of Emotional Expression was connected with the introduction of the dark and loud volume of the chords in the beginning of the piece. As the movement went on, it became calmer and less dramatic. At first I felt Anger, maybe in response of finding out his wife died, then as the piece went on with the softer volume, I could feel his emotion of sadness and sorrow. Johann Sebastian Bach seemed to have used Figurative Representation in a way to make the audience feel like this is going to be story, not just a small journey, hence why it is close to 15 minutes long. In my head I also had a visual of sitting in a performance center seeing a chamber group performing this piece, not a soloist. Bach does an amazing job creating an allusion that there are