Biblioteca de la Guitarra y Cuerda Pulsada

The allemande from the Partita in A Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed on the archlute by David Tayler. The music is sourced from an undated manuscript; the handwriting suggests that the copyist worked on the violin partitas as well. The title is marked "Solo p[our une] flûte traversière par J. S. Bach." It seems clear that the work was intended for the traverso, or baroque flute, but it is tempting to consider that the work could have been played in Bach's time on the recorder, lute, violin or cello. The style of the opening allemande is similar to several of Bach's preludes, and contains some of his finest work as a composer.