A Comparison of the Ivan Galamian and Rachel Barton Pine editions of the Sonata No. 3 in C Major for Solo Violin by Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 1005
Abstract
Study of the Sonatas and Partitas by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685—1750) is an
inevitable avenue of the violinist’s artistic journey. The most commonly studied version of the
Sonatas and Partitas is the edition published in 1971 by the renowned 20th century pedagogue
Ivan Galamian. In recent years, interest and observance of historical performance practice has
increased. As such, new editions and treatises of the Sonatas and Partitas have been published
featuring historically-informed interpretations, including one such edition by Rachel Barton Pine
in 2017.
Of the Sonatas and Partitas, the Sonata No. 3 in C Major BWV 1005 tends to be
considered as one of the most challenging of the set. This document will therefore compare the
classic fingerings and bowings of the Ivan Galamian and the historically-informed approach of
Rachel Barton Pine of the Sonata No. 3 in C Major. There are two major factors that lead to the
differences. First, violinists of the early 18th century tended to utilize first position while
contemporary violinists use a wider variety of positions. Second, bowing styles were better
suited to a different bow, as evidenced by the bowings included in the autograph manuscript. The
Pine edition tends to remain closer to the bowings indicated in the autograph manuscript, where
the Galamian edition makes a number of changes that better suit the modern bow. The fingerings
and bowings are the chosen criteria for comparison as they account for the two most significant
areas of editing that are found in both editions.
Both editions offer unique and illuminating insight, which merits in-depth study. Ideally,
a violinist would adopt ideas from both editions (and styles) in forming their own interpretations
of the Sonata No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1005.
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