The Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826, begins with a Sinfonia in the form and style of a French overture. A noble, dotted-note introduction leads to a long cantilena, which in turn vaults into a two-voice fugue.
The Allemande features a gentle melancholy, its dance elements abstracted, but the lively and purposeful Courante is very emphatic.
The Sarabande is lyrically open and in motion. The rhythmically vigorous Rondeau underscores the French influence in this Partita, and the Capriccio, replacing the usual Gigue at the end of a dance suite, is bold and serious music, in terms of content as well as style.
Here is Martha Argerich to play this music for you:
