# Bach partitas (BWV 825–830) - how do you approach them?



## quietfire

Hi guys, I hope you are all doing well.

I have always loved the Bach partitas for keyboard. I wonder if you have any specifics tips for dealing with them, particularly partitas 1 to 3.

Do you start with the easier movements first? Or the harder ones first? Or doing them in order from the first movement to the last?

What are the difficulties in these pieces? For the WTC, it is more obvious where the difficulties are (recognising the different voices and bring them out internally and externally). Here, it is not obvious where one can blunder.

Thanks in advance for any advice. But any comment in general about the partitas are welcome too! Share your experience with them, whether you've played them or not!


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## bioluminescentsquid

Resurrected a week-old post (with impunity, since I'm into a partitas spree right now)

I haven't personally played the partitas, so I can't comment on them, but I've recently fallen in love with the playing of Wim Winters, a clavichordist who regularly posts on youtube. He's releasing a recording of the Partitas soon, so there's a lot of activity on his channel about the partitas that I think you'll like.





Look for his "Afterthoughts" videos, where he talks about the pieces and interpretation; here's one (



) (He also said somewhere that the 1st suite is the hardest one :tiphat: )

I was quite intrigued by his slow Capriccio of the 2nd Partita; I've never heard other people do it like him.

Otherwise, I like the recordings of Leonhardt, Weiss and Dubreuil. Cristiano Holz also plays the Capriccio quite nicely. 
For piano, I've only listened to Gould, not because I dislike other pianists but because I'm too busy listening to the partitas on Harpsichord and clavichord!

But let's see how you think of these people!


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## Animal the Drummer

Sorry, just seen this.

I've played the Partita no.1 and individual movements from one or two others on both piano and harpsichord. IMHO the key (no pun intended) to playing them well is to remember that they are dance suites, albeit with somewhat stylised versions of the dances in question. That awareness should lighten your touch and you'll find the trickier technical passages easier as a result. I learned no.1 in movement order but you should amend that if you feel doing so will suit you better.


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