Celebratory Bach: From the E Major Partita to the Cantata, BWV 29
J.S. Bach’s Partita No. 3 in E Major for solo violin begins with the famous and iconic Preludio. Sweeping forward in a continuous stream of sixteenth notes, it forms a celebratory musical announcement. The opening bars employ a virtual pedal tone which remains rooted in E major for more than half a minute. Then, the music leaves “home” and moves through a series of adventures, only to return, triumphantly, in the coda. We get …