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Bach, Johann Sebastian : 6 Partiten Nr.6 Allemande

Work Overview

Music ID : 39185
Instrumentation:Piano Solo 
Genre:allemande
Total Playing Time:4 min 20 sec
Copyright:Public Domain

Commentary (1)

Author : Ooi, Kazurou

Last Updated: January 19, 2024
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Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

When we recall the key of E minor in Bach, for example, in the Inventions, Sinfonias, or The Well-Tempered Clavier, we understand that it is a key that expresses deep sorrow, and is certainly not optimistic. This Allemande, while encompassing immense beauty, also contains strong emotional expression and features chromatic progressions, thus it can be considered an expression of sorrow.

A tip for grasping the flow is to identify the peak points in both the first and second halves, build towards them, and then descend once they are reached.

In the first half, the soprano has a B in measure 4, which is the highest note in this section. However, the A, a second lower, appearing in the soprano in measure 5, is harmonically a very high-tension point. Therefore, either measure 4 or measure 5 should be considered the peak. Naturally, the B found in measure 8 is, harmonically and formally, the weakest point in terms of volume.

In the second half, where the left and right hands separate significantly, please consider either measure 15, where the soprano reaches its highest note C, or the B on the fourth beat of measure 18, as the peak point.

Writer: Ooi, Kazurou