Bach Transcription for Marimba: Creating an Authentic Performance Edition of Johann Sebastian Bach's Sonata no. 1 for Violin Solo, BWV 1001, and Sonata no. 2: Grave, BWV 1003, Using Guitar and Lute Transcriptions as Models

Abstract

Musicians have transcribed and adapted Johann Sebastian Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo, BWV 1001-1006, since Bach penned the works around the year 1720. Bach, himself, transcribed much of the material, adapting it for organ, harpsichord, lute, or even for his sinfonias and cantatas. It was also common for performers of the time to personalize these pieces with ornamentation, improvisation, dynamics, rhythmic interpretation, and in some cases, changes in pitch material.It is in this spirit that the author introduces marimba performance editions of Bach's Sonata no. 1 for Violin Solo, BWV 1001, and Sonata no. 2: Grave, BWV 1003, based on performances and transcriptions by guitarists and lutanists. The guitar and lute were selected as models due to their similarities to the marimba as well as the abundant resources that guitarists and lutanists have provided regarding Bach's unaccompanied string music. Their transcriptions and performances frequently include adaptations to fit their instruments' polyphonic abilities and sound characteristics. A similar approach is likewise suitable for the marimba. Thus, the present study includes an overview of Baroque performance practice as it relates to plucked-string instruments, analysis of published lute and guitar transcriptions of Bach's unaccompanied string music, and transcriptions and analysis of lute and guitar audio recordings. The plucked-string artists and scholars' approach is then assimilated into an authentic marimba performance edition of these works.