J. S. Bach
Flute Sonatas

The Bach-Gesellschaft edition, the original complete collection of Bach’s works, was in 46 volumes published in Leipzig between 1851 and 1899. It included 3 Sonatas for Flute and Keyboard (i.e., an actual keyboard part - BWV 1030 in B Minor, BWV 1031 in A Major and BWV 1032 in Eb Major) and a Sonata for Violin and Keyboard (BWV 1020 in G Minor) as well as 3 Sonatas for Flute and Continuo (i.e., a figured bass part - BWV 1033 in C Major, BWV 1034 in E Minor and BWV 1035 in E Major). The Sonata in A Minor BWV 1013 (for unaccompanied Flute) was discovered in 1917 by Karl Straub.

Bach composed for the Flute over a period of about twenty years, beginning with the Sonata in A Minor for unaccompanied Flute (BWV 1013 - BWV stands for Bach Werke Verzeichnis - “Bach works catalog”). This sonata was written while Bach was the conductor of the court orchestra in Cöthen, between 1717 and 1723, for the French flautist Pierre-Gabriel Buffardin (1690-1768), who Bach had met at the Dresden court in 1717; Sonata No. 1 in B Minor (BWV 1030) was also probably written for Buffardin.

One of the two surviving manuscript copies of Sonata No. 2 in Eb Major (BWV 1031) was copied by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788) - Bach’s second oldest son, also a composer, who himself wrote many works for the Flute; this has caused much debate about the authenticity of this sonata and, for the same reason, Sonata No. 4 in C Major (BWV 1033, now believed to have been originally composed for unaccompanied Flute by J. S. Bach with a figured bass line added later by C. P. E. Bach).

The score for Sonata No. 3 in A Major (BWV 1032) was on the same manuscript as Concerto for Two Harpsichords in C Minor (BWV 1062), using the blank lines at the bottom of that score. Unfortunately, 45 measures were cut (and lost) from the 1st Movement Vivace - only the first 62 and last 2 measures survived! There are several modern “reconstructions” available but our edition only includes the original (complete) 2nd & 3rd Movements.

Sonatas BWV 1020 in G Minor, BWV 1031 in Eb Major and BWV 1033 in C Major are now considered spurious works but all have been included because the debate still continues!

J. S. Bach - Complete Flute Sonatas

J. S. Bach - Sonata No. 1 in B Minor (BWV 1030)

J. S. Bach - Sonata No. 2 in A Major (BWV 1031)

J. S. Bach - Sonata No. 3 in Eb Major (BWV 1032)

J. S. Bach - Sonata No. 4 in C Major (BWV 1033)

J. S. Bach - Sonata No. 5 in E Minor (BWV 1034)

J. S. Bach - Sonata No. 6 in E Major (BWV 1035)

J. S. Bach - Sonata in G Minor (BWV 1020)

J. S. Bach - Sonata in A Minor (BWV 1013) unaccompanied

J. S. Bach - Sonatas arranged as Duets for Flute & Clarinet

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