breathing in bach's a minor partita

David Rushton · Post by **David Rushton** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:07 pm

Any suggestions for best breathing places in the Allemande of Bach's A minor Partita? Some are obvious, but others are really tricky. Any help from anyone more experienced PLEASE!!!

MeLizzard · Post by **MeLizzard** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 4:06 pm

Many places are acceptable, as long as the phrasing is good, and makes musical sense. Unfortunately, Bach was an organist, and they don't ever have to worry about it.

Zevang · Post by **Zevang** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:45 am

Also, he played violin, another instrument that did not needed breathing for making sound, although it's needed for phrasing...

Zevang

Zevang · Post by **Zevang** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:52 am

Coincidence or not, I just bought a brand new score of the Partita in a-moll, from B.Henle Verlag, one of the most trusted european editors, famos for their Urtext editions.

Well, concerning breathing at the Allemande, I would sugest:
- bar 3, after the first A
- bar 5, after the first G#
- bar 7, after the first A (small one)
- bar 9, after the first E
- bar 12, after the fisrt D
- bar 14, after the first G
- bar 15, after the first D# (small one)
- bar 17, after the first D#
- bar 18, after the first G (small one)

follows the second part...

Zevang

Zevang · Post by **Zevang** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:07 am

Second part:

- after the first E of the second bar after "ritornello" (bar 20).
- bar 22, after the first E
- bar 23, after the first E (small one)
- bar 25, after the fisrt F
- bar 28, after the first B
- bar 31, after the first E
- bar 33, after the second C
- bar 35, after the first D (small one)
- bar 37, after the fisrt A
- bar 39, after the first G# (small one)
- bar 41, after the first G$
- bar 43, after the third A (counting all octaves)
- bar 45, after the third A (idem)

hope it helps

Zevang

Zevang · Post by **Zevang** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:12 am

May seem lots of breathings, but it's just a guideline.
You may transform some of them to "small ones" or some could be completely suppressed, depending on your breathing capacity.

Zevang

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:57 am

When I was learning this piece, I was taught that in this time period, there was a lot of spontaneity in the music (i.e. articulations etc). So, just play the piece over and over, find the phrases, and put the breaths where they seem appropriate. I have class today, but later tonight I will post again, and tell you where I put the breaths. you can use those as a guideline if you want.

Zevang · Post by **Zevang** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 3:42 pm

Fluteguy, please give me a feedback whether you liked/aproved or not my breathing markings.

thanks

Zevang

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 6:45 pm

my breathing spots were identical exept in one place. I did not breath in bar 18. I played from bar 17-19 in the same breath, so I could start at the repeat with a new breath. Then, the second time around I played from bar 17 through 19 (second ending) and took my next breath after the low E at the beginning of bar twenty. My next breath was after the first e in bar 23. After that, my breaths were the same.

so, to make it easy here it is.

bar 17 breath after first D#

Bar 19 (first ending) breath after the last E natural.

Bar 20 (after the second ending) breathe after the first low E natural.

Bar 23 breathe after the first E natural

Other than those few differences, my breath marks matched Zevang's

Good Job! We both acknowledged the same phrases (mostly). YAY!

Another note about how this piece should be played, is that you should enjoy the music. It doesnt have to be exactly with the metronome. Dont speed up, or slow down, but put emphasis with the cadences, slightly changing the rythm within the beat where appropriate. A Baroque specialist taught my teacher that you should "enjoy the scenery" with this piece.

SaturnCat · Post by **SaturnCat** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:00 pm

I have heard it and it's beautiful! Too bad I don't have a flute to play it with...

Good Luck!

Zevang · Post by **Zevang** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 12:51 pm

Fluteguy thanks a lot for the input

I'll try it and later post some results.

Zevang

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 4:05 pm

the reasons my breath marks were different in that area, was because I wanted to put emphasis on the low notes. So, these breathing choices helped me a lot. However, others might like a different interp through this section.

David Rushton · Post by **David Rushton** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 3:16 am

Thanks so much to both of you for your (almost identical!!!) suggestions. I'm enjoying playing it using these places, and these breathings also help make greater sense of the shapes that come through the phrasing.

In the other three movements, the breathing seems to fall into place much more naturally. The Allemande, however, had me lost in places.

I actually do like to play with the tempo a little throughout the A minor partita, despite what most experts say... I just enjoy it more like that.

Thanks again, and happy playing...

Zevang · Post by **Zevang** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 2:50 pm

Happy to help, David

Zevang

Fluteland.com Flute Message Board

breathing in bach's a minor partita

breathing in bach's a minor partita

Breathing

Partita Breathing

Partita Breathing

Those breathings on the Allemande