J.S. Bach is quite possibly the most respected composer of any time period. His compositions continue to be performed today because of their untimely beauty as well as the incredible technical ability one gains from playing such works. They not only challenge the performer technically but conceal a wealth of musical complexity which appeals to any musician regardless of their ability because it can be appreciated by individuals on various levels of musical understanding. The Partita no. 2 in d minor is only one of these masterpieces produced by J.S Bach. The partita for solo violin consists of five movements; Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue, and Chaconne. The Chaconne is the last of the five movements of the partita and is …show more content…

It is clear that the rhythm is a key tool which Back uses to distinguish his direction with the piece. At the beginning of the movement the piece opens with dotted quarter rhythms and few instances of sixteenth note movement. Shortly there after the rhythms become more complicated; dotted eighth and thirty second note values are present. Then sixteenth note runs become common beginning in the seventh variation. Continuing the direction of rhythmic complexity thirty second note values become the source of movement in the seventeenth variation. It is not until the twenty second variation that the rhythm relaxes and readily utilizes half note values which were before used sparingly in the first few variations. It is in the thirtieth variation that Bach throws what is a memory of a previous variation at the listener. The cadence on i quickly picks up speed as it races through lyrical thirty second notes which lead straight into the reiteration of the theme. The second appearance of the theme and the following variations are set up in a similar manner. The theme is written in conservative note values consisting of half and dotted quarter note rhythms. Throughout the next several variations dotted eight note rhythms become common and shortly there of moves into a plethora of sixteenth notes. Unlike the first appearance of the development of rhythmic