Bach: Sonata for Violin and Continuo in E Minor BWV 1023

Here you will find the sheet music for a cello adaptation of Bach’s Sonata for Violin and Basso Continuo BWV 1023 in E Minor, transcribed for cello (instead of violin) and continuo.

The accompaniments to Bach’s “Sonatas for Violin and Basso Continuo” are notated by Bach simply as a figured bass line (bass notes + chord “code numbers”). The complexity of copying out the figured bass numbers means that the Basso Continuo parts of these sonatas are presented in the “cellofun editions” simply as unfigured bass lines, to be played by a second cello (or any other bass instrument). We don’t need a harpsichord to accompany these “Sonatas with Basso Continuo”.

This Sonata is presented here transposed down a fifth, into A Minor, mainly because the first movement would be extremely difficult (if not impossible) in the original key. The transposition down a fifth of the basso continuo line often takes us below the cello’s lower limit of pitch, therefore some of the accompaniment notes have needed to be transposed up a fourth. The choice of which accompaniment notes go up and which go down is determined by the (lower) limit of the cello’s range, by the need to preserve the musical line (melodic direction of the bass line) and by the general tessitura level. When both the solo and accompaniment voices are in a very low tessitura, we sometimes transpose the entire lower voice up a fourth (rather than down a fifth) to avoid the music sounding like an aria for two elephants.

The first and second movements are played “attaca” (with no break between them) and are therefore presented together. The “first” cellist must make the page turn between the first and second movements.

FIRST MOVEMENT AS A STAND-ALONE UNACCOMPANIED CELLO PIECE

This extraordinary movement can be played unaccompanied, as its Basso Continuo accompaniment consists of a simple sustained pedal “A” throughout its entire duration. It makes a very fine stand-alone concert piece (especially as an encore) – exciting, fast, and full of imagination with an abundance of special upside-down bariolage (string crossing) effects.