Sarabande

Sarabande from piano Partita No. 6 in E minor BWV 830 by J.S. Bach, transcription by Charlotte Bray

ensemble
2015

Duration 6’
Instrumentation 1.1.1(=Acl).1-1.1.0.0-mar-hp-2vln.vla.vcl.db (solo strings)
First Performance 20 April 2016, Southwark Cathedral, London; City of London Sinfonia under Stephan Layton
Commissioned by the City of London Sinfonia

Further Performances
21.10.18 Karlstad, Sweden; Karlstad Orchestral Society, Johannes Thorell conductor  Swedish Premiere

Charlotte has a worldwide, exclusive publishing agreement with Birdsong
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Essentially sorrowful in nature, Bach’s Sarabande from piano Partita No. 6 in E minor appears to hold an elaborate and intimate conversation with the listener. Encompassing a whole range of emotions, the darkness is interrupted with glimpses of light and hopeful, joyous twists.

In making an arrangement of something so immaculately beautiful, I tried to change it as little as possible. Staying true to the original in terms of pitch, I super imposed my own expression of the piece on to Bach’s composition, as if the ensemble were soloist.