The Accompaniment in ''Unaccompanied'' Bach: Interpreting the Sonatas and Partitas for Violin, by Stanley Ritchie
- Indiana University Press
- Paperback, 136 pgs
Known around the world for his advocacy of early historical performance and as a skilled violin performer and pedagogue, Stanley Ritchie has developed a technical guide to the interpretation and performance of J. S. Bach's enigmatic sonatas and partitas for solo violin. Unlike typical Baroque compositions, Bach's six solos are uniquely free of accompaniment. To add depth and texture to the pieces, Bach incorporated various techniques to bring out a multitude of voices from four strings and one bow, including arpeggios across strings, multiple stopping, opposing tonal ranges, and deft bowing. Published in 1802, over 80 years after its completion in 1720, Bach's manuscript is without expression marks, leaving the performer to freely interpret the dynamics, fingering, bowings, and articulations. Marshaling a lifetime of experience, Stanley Ritchie provides violinists with deep insights into the interpretation and technicalities at the heart of these challenging pieces.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stanley Ritchie is Distinguished Professor of Music at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. He is a leading exponent of Baroque and Classical violin playing and recipient of the Early Music America's highest award, the Howard Mayer Brown Award for Lifetime Achievement in Early Music.
REVIEWS
''Superb! Very inspired material eloquently written. Stanley Ritchie explains each movement of Bach's solo violin Sonatas and Partitas with such clarity and understanding in the thought process without being in any way 'dry'.'' - Stringendo AUSTA
''For any violinist, this book is a practical delight. It deserves to join the great works by Leopold Mozart, Editha Knocker, Leopold Auer, Pierre Baillot, Joseph Szigeti, and their peers, which are on every serious player's shelf.'' - Fontes Artis Musicae
''In this book the Nestor of American historically informed players offers a practical guide to the possibilities of translating the past in the present.'' - Reinhard Goebel, conductor and founder of Musica Antiqua Köln
''This 'work' fills what I have felt for many years to be a serious void in the violin literature. Performing and teaching the solo sonatas and partitas of Bach on both 'modern' and 'period' instruments has shown me how vital it is to have an authoritative 'work' that provides answers to the interpretive questions that will lead the contemporary violinist to a more historically informed performance. As I read (and re-read) these pages, I found myself saying 'bravo' and 'finally' frequently in happy agreement. Stanley Ritchie has given Francesco Geminiani, Leopold Mozart, and Pierre Baillot a worthy companion on the bookshelf of dedicated fiddlers. Thank you for this splendid addition to our literature! It has all of the elegance and integrity that has typified Richie's admirable fiddling in both the modern and 'authentic' worlds.'' - Joseph Silverstein, violinist, conductor, and Professor of Music
