Bach's Ciaconna for Flute Solo (BWV 1004), Transcribed by Natalie Ham

Abstract

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Ciaconna from the Partita No. 2 in D minor (BWV 1004) wasoriginally written for solo violin without bass as part of a collection of six sonatas and partitas. The Ciaconna has unique demands on a flutist: embouchure flexibility, breathing technique, tone production across registers, and physical endurance are all aspects of flute playing that are pushed to the limit during a performance. Flutists have transcribed the Ciaconna, with added dynamics, articulation markings, andtempo and character indications. A quick glance at the facsimile of the score reveals that Bach himself did not include these markings. He added slurs every now and then, but no other markings aside from the word Ciaconna at the beginning are present. While these flutists have produced respected editions of the Ciaconna, their markings may limit the interpretation possibilities and artistic voice of other musicians. The transcription by Natalie Ham does not include any articulation, tempo, dynamic, or character markings that are not already included in Bach’s original score. The goal is that by refraining from adding musical instructions to the piece, this edition would provide the performer with the freedom to improvise phrase shapes, articulations, and dynamics at will. This edition of the Ciaconna aims to stay as true to the score as possible, but there arepassages that inevitably needed to be altered due to differences between violin and flute capabilities and sonority. The Ciaconna’s history, compositional aspects, Bach’s perception of music and transcriptions, Baroque performance practice, and the technical features of violins and flutes informed each decision during the transcription process as obstacles were presented. By doing so, the original concept of the Ciaconna was preserved for performance on flute in Ham’s edition. This research is presented here, along with a description of the process of transcribing theviolin score for flute for Ham’s edition. The first chapter includes the history of the Ciaconna, including the historical context of the Ciaconna, its compositional motivations, a brief look into part of Bach’s perception of music, the cultural traditions that influenced the aspects of the Ciaconna, and its impact on music. The next chapter presents an overview of the transcription process and methodology used for Natalie Ham’s transcription of the Ciaconna for flute, along with a comparison to Bach’s own transcription methodology. These first two chapters describe the underlying motivation behind every decision made during the transcription process. Chapter 3 goes into further detail regarding this process, with an exploration of the obstacles faced and their solutions. Chapter 4 includes a summary of Baroque performance practice directly related to violin and flute techniques, with an exploration of how to apply these styles to a modern performance of the Ciaconna. The goal in doing so is to provide flutists with a better understanding of the Ciaconna from a historical standpoint in order to enrich interpretive possibilities in a flutist’s own performance. Following the conclusion, Ham’s transcription is provided in full for reference purposes.