Clavier-Übung, consisting of Preludes, Allemandes, Courantes, Sarabandes, Gigues, Minuets, and other modern dances. Composed for the delight of music lovers by Johann Sebastian Bach, Kapellmeister to the Princely Saxon Court of Weissenfels, and Director Musices in Leipzig. Opus 1. Published by the composer. 1731.

In 1726, Bach began publishing his own works. This was approximately three and a half years after he took up his post in Leipzig. Bach's plan for publication was meticulous and thorough. For the genre, he chose galant suites, which were the latest trend at the time. The scale had to be neither as extensive as the English Suites nor as delicate as the French Suites; the content had to be straightforward, yet substantial enough to further enhance Bach's reputation as a keyboard virtuoso, and above all, satisfying to himself. For the target audience, he envisioned general individuals who would perform them in private settings such as homes and salons, rather than as repertoire for public performances. He then published one piece almost every year to gauge sales, and finally reissued all six pieces together in 1731. Regarding the title, he avoided eccentricity, following his predecessor at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Kuhnau, by naming the suites in an Italianate style as Partitas. He also borrowed the title Clavier-Übung from Kuhnau's widely acclaimed and well-known collection of works. This title "Übung" (exercise) is by no means synonymous with 19th-century etudes. It embodies the intention of being intimate works for those who seek solace from music, and, of course, as complete musical paradigms.

Despite being published, this collection leaves complex issues regarding revision. Bach continuously refined his own works, especially his keyboard compositions, and his pen did not falter even for published works. The versions published separately in advance and the collected edition of 1731 already differ. Furthermore, the 1731 edition that Bach kept in his possession underwent further revisions. In addition, four printed scores containing annotations for improvement have been transmitted, one of which is highly likely to be Bach's own. The New Bach Edition (NBA V/1) was published after thoroughly examining all these revisions, but there is still room for discussion.

All six pieces are each given a different opening movement. The structure of the suites is more varied than that of the French Suites, with some deviations from convention in the types and arrangement of the inserted dances. While the movement structure and musical language are extremely diverse, the sense of unity within the pieces is further enhanced by the connections at the beginning of the movements, the uniformity of cadential patterns, contrapuntal development, and meticulous motivic work. Here, one can observe the pinnacle of Bach's aesthetic of "diversity and unity."

It should be noted that while this collection has sometimes been called "German Suites," this name does not originate from Bach, nor is it appropriate from a stylistic perspective. Just as the French Suites and English Suites cannot be said to be typical French or English examples, neither can a typical German character be found in the Partitas.

For the standard forms of suites, please refer to the section on the French Suites.

3. A minor (7 movements): Fantasia, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Burlesca, Scherzo, Gigue / BWV 827 / 1727

Six movements, excluding the Scherzo, have early versions in the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach from 1725.

The opening movement, "Fantasia," is a two-voice imitative piece. (That Bach regarded this type of style as "Fantasia" can also be seen from the fact that the three-voice Sinfonias were similarly named in their early versions.)

The inserted dance, Burlesca, originally referred to music aiming for a comical effect through exaggeration. While Bach's movement is not overtly humorous, it contains bold leaps and surprising harmonies in places. Considering that it was named "Minuet" in its early version, it might be a satire of a refined and quiet triple-meter dance.