Bach, Sonata No. 2 in A minor for Solo Violin

Bach Sonata No. 2 in A minor for Solo Violin BWV 1003 by Johann Sebastian Bach stands at the expressive and architectural heart of Bach’s solo violin cycle; darker in tone and more introspective than the G-minor Sonata, this work explores emotional depth, contrapuntal mastery, and sustained musical tension, culminating in one of the most formidable fugues ever written for the violin and demanding from the performer a rare union of intellectual control, emotional gravity, and technical endurance.

Key features:

• The monumental Fuga is a tour de force of polyphonic writing, testing stamina, clarity, and structural vision
• Explores a darker, more inward emotional world, rich in tension and expressive weight
• Requires the violinist to project multiple voices and long architectural spans with authority
• The Andante offers profound lyrical introspection, demanding control of tone and pacing
• The final Allegro combines rhythmic drive with strict clarity, rewarding disciplined articulation
• Develops complete command of chords, voice-leading, intonation, and rhetorical shaping
• A work that matures with the player, often revisited at multiple stages of a violinist’s life