Bach’s third partita for solo violin, composed around 1720, opens with a brilliant and energetic Preludio. Its continuous sixteenth-note motion creates a sense of perpetual movement, while the interplay of open strings and changing harmonies highlights the violin’s remarkable range of colors and textures.
Bach later adapted this movement for organ and orchestra in two of his cantatas. The Preludio remains one of the most recognizable movements from his six sonatas and partitas for solo violin.