Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin

What it is

This is the 1720 autograph manuscript of Bach's Six Solos for Violin Without Bass Accompaniment, known today as the Sonatas and Partitas (BWV 1001–1006). Bach wrote the fair copy while working as Kapellmeister in Köthen, and the collection includes the famous Chaconne from the second partita.

Why it matters

The set helped establish the violin as a serious solo instrument, influencing later composers such as Eugène Ysaÿe and Béla Bartók. The careful, decorative handwriting shows Bach's own skill as a violinist and his meticulous working methods, though the pieces were barely known until the violinist Joseph Joachim revived them in the 19th century.

Look closer

• What does the careful handwriting and decoration of the title page suggest about how Bach valued this collection?
• Why might a set of pieces this important have been ignored for decades after Bach's death?
• What does the title tell you about how Bach intended these works to be played?