Product Description

J.S. Bach's sonatas and partitas for solo violin have had a central place in the repertoire since the mid-18th century. This engaging introduction to these works is the first comprehensive exploration of their place within Bach's music, focusing on their structural and stylistic features as they have been perceived over time. Combining an analytical study, a historical guide, and an insightful introduction to Bach's style, the book will help violinists, scholars, and listeners develop a deeper personal involvement with many aspects of these wonderful pieces.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2004018 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 200 pages

Review

"Joel Lester is one of America's leading theorists and analysts of music, as well as a professional violinist. He is therefore uniquely qualified to write a serious analytical and interpretive study of J. S. Bach's violin music. . . . It's quite incredible that, despite the stature and importance of this music, there has never been a serious full-length study of its repertoire. That is, until now. . . . This book is richly informative and insightful, abundantly displaying Lester's learning and analytical talents. It is also engagingly written."--Robert L. Marshall, Brandeis University
"Performers will find this book's discussion of recordings invaluable, its performance-oriented analyses helpful in understanding the logic behind interpretation, and its historical excursuses informative. . . . Lester has the reputation of being an excellent performer, is a recognized scholar in the history of theory, and has written a harmony textbook. Who better to bring all of these talents and accomplishments to a book of this sort?"--Lee A. Rothfarb, University of California at Santa Barbara

About the Author

Joel Lester is the Dean of the Mannes College of Music. He has been active in many areas of music education, scholarship, and performance for three decades. The author of several books, he is a former editor of Music Theory Spectrum.