Partita no. 1 in B major
BWV 825 performed by Mark Edwards
Philharmonie, Haarlem
Behind the music
Story
Story
Credits
Credits
Advanced keyboard technique
It was already clear in the eighteenth century: Bach made high demands on the keyboard player
This first partita in Bach’s series of six keyboard partitas appeared in print in 1726. The rest followed in subsequent years and the complete set of six was reprinted in 1731. As early as 1739, music connoisseur Lorenz Christoph Mizler wrote in a review of the repeatedly reprinted organ method, the Wegweiser for “the art of playing the organ correctly”, that “he who cannot move his fingers better than this will scarcely be able to learn to play the Partitas for the clavier by our famous Herr Bach of Leipzig”. This remark says something about the basic standard aimed at in this method in Mizler’s review, but also about Bach’s partitas.
The Partita in B-flat major immediately lives up to that reputation of above average ‘finger movements’. It becomes apparent in the Praeludium, when the theme we hear at the beginning in the upper part then appears in the left hand with trills and all. And there is something in every movement where a mediocre or careless keyboard player might mess up the fingering. Sometimes it simply concerns a stream of fast arpeggios and leaps in both hands, as in the Corrente. In the slow Sarabande, the challenge lies more in the elegant phrasing of the ornaments and flourishes that are in full view, due to the sparing accompaniment. One small mistake is immediately noticeable.
When the keyboard player then arrives at the two minuets, it appears that the worst of the danger is over, as here Bach does not demand particularly difficult struggles for the fingers. But it was not without reason that Mizler took the partitas as an example. The Gigue that closes the first partita is a tour de force of keyboard technique, which was unparalleled in Bach’s day. With the right hand continually jumping over the left hand, here it is not just the fingers in motion, but the whole hand!
- BWV
- 825
- Title
- Partita no. 1 in B major
- Instrument
- harpsichord
- Genre
- harpsichord works
- Serie
- Clavier-Übung I, II, IV, Six keyboard partitas
- Year
- ca. 1725-1731
- City
- Leipzig
- Special notes
- Bach dedicated this first partita in the set of six keyboard partitas to Emanuel Ludwig, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, who was born on 29 November 1694
With support from
Andrew S. Lim
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
Translation
Credits
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- Release date
- 26 May 2022
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- Recording date
- 3 June 2021
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- Location
- Philharmonie, Haarlem
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- Harpsichordist
- Mark Edwards
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- Harpsichord
- Bruce Kennedy, 1989 after Michael Mietke
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- Director, camera
- Robin van Erven Dorens
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- Music recording
- Guido Tichelman, Bastiaan Kuijt
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- Music edit and mix
- Guido Tichelman
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- Camera
- Onno van der Wal
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- Lights
- Ernst-Jan Thieme
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- Best boy
- Jordi Kooij
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- Data handling
- Stefan Ebels
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- Assistant music recording
- Marloes Biermans
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- Producer
- Jessie Verbrugh
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- With support from
- Andrew S. Lim
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