Even those who pay meticulous attention to pieces in strict four-part or three-part harmony often tend to perform with insufficient consideration when it comes to pieces of this type, where the number of voices varies in different sections.

This Allemande is entirely about "aiming for the independence of voices." To achieve voice independence, two things must be considered:

• First, care must be taken to prevent the voices from becoming intertwined, making it difficult for the listener to distinguish which voice is which. For example, in measure 17, the treble clef contains both soprano and alto voices; it would be counterproductive if the listener heard G GFEsFG CFisGA DBABEsAG. The listener should hear GFEsFG FisGA DEsAG, which requires varying the volume and timbre between the soprano and alto voices.
• Second is the shaping of each voice. Let's take measure 23 as an example. In the alto voice of beat 3, there is an F quarter note, which descends to C# on beat 4; since C# is a leading tone, it must be considered to resolve to D in measure 24. In both this alto voice (F-C#-D) and the alto line in measures 4, beats 1-3 (C-E-F), the final note is a resolution note, so an accent on this final note is unnecessary. However, playing these three notes with exactly the same volume in a mechanical manner indicates a lack of polyphonic understanding on the part of the performer.

Even those who believe they are accustomed to Bach should try playing each voice (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) as a single melody, even just once. It will become clear what needs to be done where.