In this lesson, Miriam Fried examines the movements that follow Bach’s great fugues, revealing how the composer creates contrast through lyricism, elegance, and virtuosity. While the fugues represent some of the most complex writing in the violin repertoire, the succeeding movements offer a fresh harmonic landscape and a more immediately vocal and expressive character.

The lesson explores the distinctive personalities of the Siciliano from the G minor Sonata, the Andante from the A minor Sonata, and the Largo from the C major Sonata. Through detailed musical examples, Miriam explains how Bach shapes melodic lines, bass patterns, harmonic rhythm, and phrase structure to create movements that are both simple in appearance and deeply sophisticated in design. Particular attention is given to articulation, rhythmic flow, and the challenge of maintaining a singing melodic line while preserving the underlying harmonic structure.

The focus then shifts to the sonatas’ final movements, where Bach’s imagination and technical ingenuity are on full display. The lesson explores the perpetual-motion energy of the G minor Presto, the playful brilliance of the C major Allegro Assai, and the noble, more measured character of the A minor Allegro. Miriam highlights Bach’s use of bariolage, arpeggiation, sequencing, bowing patterns, and large-scale form, while offering practical insights into phrasing, articulation, and interpretation.

Throughout the lesson, the emphasis remains on understanding the musical character of each movement and finding interpretative choices that serve Bach’s architecture while allowing the music to sing naturally. By combining structural awareness with expressive freedom, violinists can bring greater clarity, elegance, and vitality to these extraordinary works.