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The "Chaconne" by Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the major manifestations of classical music and already achieved near legendary status at the beginning of the 20th century among musicians and audiences alike. Due to their monumental arrangement and high interpretative and technical challenges, they were often widely perceived in isolation from their compositional and often also historical context to become the showpieces of  ambitious soloists.
Johann Sebastian Bach began composing "Ciaccona" during his Weimar period (1708-1717) - the manuscript was published in Köthen in 1720 (as finale of the five-movement partita no.II in D minor). As such, it is part of the cycle "Sei Solo. a Violino senza Basso accompagnato“ (BWV 1001-1006). With the three sonatas and partitas in alternation, Bach defies the violin's technical limitations in the movements to create a unique compositional cosmos. Rigorous forms like fugues and largely monodic motoric allegro movements contrast with a variety of dance movements in different styles. In the D minor partita all movements are linked by a simple striking harmony sequence. Bach's omission of a prelude turn the typical dance movements Allemanda, Courante, Sarabanda and Gigue almost into a suite of their own, crowned by the Ciaccona with its 64 variations of the four-beat harmony scheme. In the version for guitar the compositional structures are clarified and developed into an instrumental idiom appropriate to its musical language. This is  oriented both towards Bach's own adaptations and also the practice of playing the Baroque lute, thus avoiding a one-sided treatment of the Ciaccona. Aspects of famous romantic adaptations like that of Ferucci Busoni and after him, Andrés Segovia are not taken into account, despite the historical  significance of their styles.  

Notes on the edition

These transcriptions are based on the text of the ‘New Bach Edition’ (Bärenreiter BA 5116). In the few places where chords differ from the urtext, the original notes are set in square brackets or in the appendix. Additional notes, on the other hand, are marked by round brackets. Further performance alternatives are also included in the appendix. 
The length of bass notes or chords is not always clearly indicated in the manuscript - in the transcription this is often left to the interpreter’s discretion. Accordingly, any consistent setting of pauses is omitted. Frequently, the length of the bass tones can be matched to the (original) phrasing: for instance, if the first three of a four-sixteenth group are combined in the treble, the accompanying bass note can be ended after a dotted eighth note. Given a quick rendition in the courante, the dotted eighth note (with the following sixteenth note) can be played in a ratio of 2 to 1, i.e. as a triplet. 
Changes in respect of the original are not marked up specially, but are revealed in direct comparison to the attached original manuscript. Any decorative elements added are set in parentheses. Some performance alternatives were presented as "ossia" in small print. They can be used - especially in the Sarabanda - for the refrains. The original movement, on which the two elaborated arpeggio passages in the Ciaccona are based, is also appended.  

Bach’s original phrasing slurs have been consistently observed. Technical ties are represented by dotted slurs. The fingering is of course a suggestion for transposing Bach’s phrasing for the violin to the guitar. Rather than a literal transposition, a style and playing technique developed from the idiom of the guitar was preferred. The technical and tonal implementation thus remains akin to the musical statement. The fingering serves as reference and has been limited to a minimum.

A further engagement with Baroque performance practice is offered in the publication below.

Richard R. Efrati:

Johann Sebastian Bach

The Interpretation of the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin and the Suites for Solo Violoncello
Atlantis 1979 ISBN 3 7611 0550 9

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