CCXXVII. BACH, J.S.: Sonata #3 in C Major for Solo Violin, BWV 1005

CCXXVII. BACH, J.S. (1685-1750)

Sonata #3 in C Major for Solo Violin, BWV 1005 (1720)
1. Adagio
2. Fuga
3. Largo
4. Allegro assai
Shunske Sato, violin
(24:24)

In Sato (the artistic director of the Netherlands Bach Society), you can experience a completely enveloping Bach experience of the highest quality. (see Post CLXXX for his performance of BWV 1003) ...

Adagio

The delicacy and perfect intonation of all these difficult double-, triple-, and quadrupal-stops makes for a deeply-felt interpretation of these first few lines, as Bach modulates to the dominant:

Fuga

Bach's longest fugue for any instrument or combination of instruments.  A monumental 354 bars places incredible demands on the violinist.

Taken from the chorale, Komm, Heiliger Geist, BWV 652, the subject -- in the relative minor (A), begins:

The entrance -- at the fifth -- introduces the countersubject, a series of descending chromatic half-notes:

The third entrance -- back to the tonic ... look how the subject migrates to the middle voice (second line) with the countersubject now on top!

and after much working out, the subject reappears in a three-voice section using the open D string as the foundation:

al riverso

Bach inverts the subject:

and brings the fugue to a close with an unusual progression, ending with a strong I 6/4 - V - I cadence:

Largo

Moving to the subdominant (F), Bach spins out a multi-voice, delicate melody:

Perpetuum mobile

A continuous flow of 16ths, bringing this massive sonata to a rousing conclusion: