Profound in spirit and monumental in scope Bach’s Six Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin are arguably the most difficult original solo works ever written for the violin. Their fomidable technical challenges, especially the persistent use of multiple stops, are not just virtuoso features but are the natural result of the complexity of Bach’s musical ideas and his understanding of the instrument. The crowning glory of the set is the immense Chaconne from the Partita in D minor, a set of variations on a theme which makes unprecedented demands of the performer’s expressive and technical abilities.