The solo violin part of Wilhelmj's arrangement is sometimes played on the counter-tenor violoncello. Later, a spurious story circulated that the melody was always intended to be played on the G string alone. The accompanying violins and violas play muted ( con sordino), and the bass part for cellos and double basses is to be played pizzicato and sempre pianissimo, with the same change in effect compared to Bach's original. The dynamic markings added by Wilhelmj are more in line with a romantic interpretation than with the baroque original.Īs a violin can't play very loudly in its lowest register, all the other parts of Bach's music were firmly reduced in Wilhelmj's version: the keyboard part is to be played staccato and pianissimo, causing the effects of interweaving melodies and of drive in the bass part to get lost.

Then the part of the first violins is transposed further down an octave and given to a solo violin that can play the entire melody on its lowest string, the G string. In Wilhelmj's version the piece is transposed down from its original key (D major) to C major.

On the score he wrote auf der G-Saite (on the G string) above the staff for the solo violin, which gave the arrangement its nickname. In 1871, violinist August Wilhelmj arranged the second movement of Bach's third Orchestral Suite for violin and an accompaniment of strings, piano or organ (harmonium). Problems playing these files? See media help. Performed by David Hernando Vitores (alto saxophone) – 'on the G String'-like arrangement for a solo instrument without strings

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