The 'Aria on the G string' was composed by Johann Sebastian Bach in the 17th century. It is the second 'aria' from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068, and was originally an ensemble piece for various instruments. It was later arranged for solo violin and piano by the violinist August Wilhelmj, and is now known as the 'Aria on the G-line'.

In the slow tempo of the Adagio, the piano plays a bass line in a descending scale, while the violin begins on the note E, full of tension.

Slightly unstable, sudden dissonances that evoke a sense of loneliness are placed in various places in exquisite conditions, arousing feelings of sadness and wistfulness. Even today, the technique of 'daring to use dissonances' is used in various pieces, but it must be said that Bach, who established this technique 300 years ago, is still great.

From the unstable melody, the piece progresses towards a gentle and warm melody in the second half and ends with a calm C chord.

The G line refers to the lowest violin string. When August Wilhelmj arranged this piece, he lowered the melody by one octave and changed it to "C major", so that it could be played from beginning to end using only the G line. This method of playing, known as 'Sul G', dares to play in the high position of the thick G line in a register that can be played on the D or A lines, thus creating a unique, profound tone and tension.

The word 'aria' means a song and is characterised by a beautiful melody that sounds as if it is being sung. Contrapoints (counterpoint) are combined with graceful melodies, and the melodies are constructed with great precision.

#classicalmusic #violin #bach #violinist

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