🎼 Bach on guitar — where do you stand?
Hey tonebuddies!
Bach didn't write for the modern classical guitar. The repertoire we play is some combination of:
- 🪕 Lute originals (BWV 995, BWV 996, 997, 998, 999, 1000, 1006a) — closest to authentic, but the lute itself is a different beast
- 🎻 Cello suite transcriptions (BWV 1007–1009 most commonly) — every guitarist's first Bach prelude
- 🎻 Violin sonatas and partitas (BWV 1001–1006) — including the Chaconne, the holy grail
- 🎹 Keyboard transcriptions (Sicilienne from BWV 1031, Goldberg arrangements) — most controversial
💬 Where do you actually stand on this?
- What's your favorite Bach piece to play on guitar — and is it lute, cello, violin, or keyboard origin?
- Do you treat the original instrument's style as a guide, or do you fully "guitar-ify" it?
- Have you ever played a Bach piece on guitar that you later heard on its original instrument and thought differently about it?
- Is there a Bach work you wish was in the guitar repertoire — that nobody has cracked the transcription on?
7 replies
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Oh golly there is so much to say here!
I played:
- Duarte's Cello Suite 3 (1009) in 1974 not a bad ARRANGEMENT. Adam Holtzman kills this in concert.
- 998: 1976-1980 (don't remember whose).
- Lute Suite 4 (not the violin partita 3), transcription by Dick Provost in late 70's
- Currently working on 1007, combining Lorimer, Koonce, and Iceland (cuz it's a PDF). Duarte's 1007 is way too bulky, Lorimer's is a little but not as bad. better scholarship by Lorimer.
- If you will play the violin works, use Nicholas Goluses editions. these are the best.
- if you play in a duo and are interested: in the 1980's I arranged the complete Italian Concerto for 2 guitars, and the Fantasy and Fugue. I can supply score and parts, and share live recordings The Italian Concerto is a real crowd pleaser, and so much fun. pretty hard to play but so rewarding.
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I love listen and learn to play JS Bach BWV 1004 Chaccone and the 4 Lute suites BWV 996,997, 998 and 999. The best guitarists who played JS Bach beautifully were John Williams, Julian Bream, Segovia,etc. Although the JS Bach music were difficult to learn and play, there are many easier pieces by JS Bach for intermediate level and beginners level.
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Perhaps we can have "Guided Practice Tracks" for the Essential Bach Repertoire, in a progressive series from Intermediate to Advanced levels. This would not only cover technique (fingerings, etc) but also musical interpretation.