Suzuki Violin Pieces by J.S. Bach

This week’s group class is titled “Bach Day” as the class is the same day as the Middlebury Bach Festival at Middlebury College.  (I’m thrilled to be playing viola in the festival performance of the Bach Brandenburg 3!) At our Bach Day class, we will be playing all of the Bach pieces we know in the Suzuki repertoire and learning more about the composer.

In preparation for Bach Day Group class, I made a list of all of the Suzuki Violin pieces attributed to Bach.  In compiling the list, I discovered an excellent resource for background material on Suzuki Repertoire by Mark Polesky which includes links to recordings and manuscripts of the original compositions from which most of the repertoire is derived and lyrics for all the pieces that are also songs.  I’m particularly thrilled about sharing the lyrics with students!   Anyway, here is the list of Bach pieces:

Book 1

1. Minuet No. 1. (from Suite in G minor, BWV 822)
2. Minuet No. 2  (probably not J.S. Bach – sometimes attributed to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–1788))
3. Minuet No. 3 (probably not by Bach – attributed to Christian Petzold (1677–1733)

Book 2

1. Musette (Arrangement of English Suite No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808)

Book 3

1. Minuet (attributed to Christian Petzold (1677–1733), from Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach (1725) Menuet, BWV Anhang 114 (“Minuet I”) and Menuet, BWV Anhang 115 (“Minuet II”)
2. Gavotte in G Minor (Arrangement of Suite in G minor, BWV 822)
3. Gavotte in D Major (Arrangement of Orchestral Suite No.3 in D major, BWV 1068)
4. Bourrée (Arrangement of Cello Suite No.3 in C major, BWV 1009)

Book 4

1. Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor,
   BWV 1043, 1st Movement (Violin II)

Book 5

1. Gavotte (Arrangement of Cello Suite No. 6 in D major, BWV 1012)
2. Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor,
   BWV 1043, 1st Movement (Violin I)

Book 7

1. Concerto No. 1 (3 movements)
2. Gigue (Arrangement of Gigue from Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007)
3. Courante (Arrangement of Courante from Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007)

Book 8

1. Largo (Violin Sonata No.3 in C major, BWV 1005)
2. Allegro (Violin Sonata in E minor, BWV 1023)