This video is packed with food for thought for violinists, guitarists, and Bach enthusiasts alike.

It explores how Bach manifestly deviates from a theoretical practice that we ascribe to him, but with which he was never formally trained. Although Bach’s training did not encompass what we now call “functional harmony”, this does seem to be a guiding principle in his music.

In the Siciliana, Bach uses compositional techniques that are associated with the Style Galant, and the music sometimes becomes less predictable. Indeed, there is some really singular writing in this most remarkable piece, which, on the surface, simply sounds lovely and unaffected.