IV. Aria

The Partitas may be seen as a summation of Bach’s achievements in the genre of instrumental suites. His use of different textures, his increasingly frequent recourse to harmony and to ‘gallant’ melodies rather than the imitative counterpoint that had formerly held sway, the great virtuosity he requires and, even more importantly, the profundity he achieves make these works not only the apex but also the logical conclusion of this tradition of transforming a suite of dances into great art.