My arrangements for four violas of movements from the works for unaccompanied violin by J S Bach have been quite widely played now, and seem to give a lot of pleasure!
Here is the opening paragraph from my introduction to the arrangements:
“The three Partitas and three Sonatas for unaccompanied violin by Bach present violinists with enormous musical and technical challenges, even more so for the occasional intrepid viola player who attempts them. I had the idea of arranging some of the movements, notably the fugues, for four violas, to remove the element of struggle and make them accessible to players who might not relish the challenges of the originals.”
As of November 2025 I am making new arrangements for two violas, and will add them to the website when they are finished. So far, only the G minor Adagio and Fugue are available.
The arrangements of Bach for four violas are all available as free downloads below. If you would like to make a contribution, it will be gratefully received! Please click on the contribute tab below.
If you decide to play any of the arrangements, I’d be delighted to hear from you!
J S Bach: Adagio in G minor, arranged for 2 violas
J S Bach : Prelude from Suite in C minor
For cello and Fugue from Sonata in G minor for violin, arranged for 4 violas
All players play from full score for the Prelude, and from individual parts for the Fugue.
J S Bach : Prelude from Partita in E major
For violin, arranged for 4 violas
J S Bach : Adagio and Fugue from Sonata in C major
For violin, arranged for 4 violas
J S Bach : Chaconne arranged for four violas
Sonata in A minor
For unaccompanied violin: Grave – Fugue – Andante – Allegro