Listen to this work
These recordings are found automatically, and the machine still gets it wrong. One click from you — yes or no — fixes the catalogue for every musician who opens this page after you. Across our 10,000 works, your answer is our only real quality check.
An arrangement or transcription is fine: if you recognise the work, answer yes. Answer no if it is a different work, a different composer, or if the recording does not play.
-
Play — Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825: VIb. Menuet I da capo · Johann Sebastian Bach, Maria João Pires (the player loads on click)
Is this the right work?
No account is required and no personal data is collected.
MusicCoach difficulty
70/100
Advanced
Level of the complete work
We have no level specific to this movement. The figure above is that of the complete work: within a cycle, movements often differ widely in demand.
Estimated skills
Theory
Knowledge of forms
1
Ornaments
Baroque ornaments
1
Style
Baroque style
1
Reading
Bass clef reading
1
Interpretation
Phrasing
1
Technique
Two-voice polyphony
1
Technique
Staccato
1
What to play next?
Each suggestion combines difficulty gap, risk, confidence and skill overlap. The first two cards in each column are the most useful pedagogically.
Gentle step
The safest next step.
Gentle
Harpsichord Suite in G minor, HWV.432
George Frideric Handel
close skills
low risk
to confirm
A short step up, staying in Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Demi-pédale and Style baroque — the pedal is set by ear, note by note: misjudged, it blurs the harmony instead of joining it.
Gentle
Harpsichord Suite in G minor, HWV.439
George Frideric Handel
close skills
low risk
to confirm
A short step up, staying in Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Demi-pédale and Style baroque — the pedal is set by ear, note by note: misjudged, it blurs the harmony instead of joining it.
Balanced step
A genuine step up, without a jolt.
Balanced
Partita no. 5 in G major, BWV.829
Johann Sebastian Bach
close skills
moderate risk
fair confidence
A real step up: this piece moves you into Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM). The skill that will carry the work: Style baroque and Ornements baroque — the notes are not enough: articulation and ornaments follow performance conventions best checked in an urtext edition.
Balanced
Les Indes galantes, suite from the opéra-ballet for harpsichord
Jean-Philippe Rameau
close skills
moderate risk
to confirm
A real step up: this piece moves you into Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Analyse harmonique and Style baroque — understand the form and the harmony before memorising, or memory collapses the moment you play for someone.
Ambitious challenge
A useful leap with guided practice.
Challenge
Partita no. 4 in D major, BWV.828
Johann Sebastian Bach
close skills
high risk
to confirm
An ambitious leap into Advanced (around grade 8 ABRSM/RCM) — only worth starting if the practice time is really there. New compared with the previous piece: Polyphonie à trois voix ou plus and Style baroque — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Challenge
Chaconne in G major, HWV.435
George Frideric Handel
close skills
high risk
to confirm
An ambitious leap into Advanced (around grade 8 ABRSM/RCM) — only worth starting if the practice time is really there. The skill that will carry the work: Style baroque and Ornements baroque — the notes are not enough: articulation and ornaments follow performance conventions best checked in an urtext edition.
Same level
Same level
Sinfonia No.9 in F minor BWV 795
Johann Sebastian Bach
partial transfer
low risk
to confirm
Equivalent demands, still Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. What changes is the skill in play: Polyphonie à trois voix ou plus and Style baroque — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Same level
Magnificat Fugue, for organ in tone 5, no. 6, T. 158
Johann Pachelbel
partial transfer
low risk
to confirm
Equivalent demands, still Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. What changes is the skill in play: Analyse harmonique and Polyphonie à trois voix ou plus — understand the form and the harmony before memorising, or memory collapses the moment you play for someone.
Same level
Sinfonia No.6 in E major BWV 792
Johann Sebastian Bach
partial transfer
low risk
to confirm
Equivalent demands, still Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. What changes is the skill in play: Polyphonie à trois voix ou plus and Style baroque — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Menuet I presents a poised dance character with clear contrapuntal lines: you should convey the dance pulse with crisp on-beats and a restrained, unromantic flexibility in the rhythm. Focus especially on Ornaments baroque (4.1/5), executing short mordents and appoggiaturas cleanly and evenly, and on Knowledge of forms (4.1/5) to shape repeats and phrase architecture, which requires precise decisions about slight dynamic shading and breathing at each section's turn. This movement comes from Bach's cycle of keyboard Partitas and exemplifies his baroque dance-writing and polyphonic style.