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Tune of the Day: Sarabande

As is the case with so many of J.S. Bach's chamber works, we know virtually nothing about the circumstances in which the Partita in A minor for unaccompanied flute, BWV 1013 was composed. It was probably written sometime during the early 1720s, during the last few years of Bach's tenure as Kapellmeister at Cöthen, a job that gave him ample freedom to explore secular chamber music.

The third movement of the Partita is an aristocratic sarabande of ingenious rhythmic flexibility. Like all sarabandes, this movement should be played slowly. Moreover, since the melody is unaccompanied, you should take all the time you need to play expressively. Don't play like a metronome!