A partita (also spelled partie, partia, parthia, or parthie) is similar to the dance suites from the Baroque Period. The word is often used as a synonym for suite and variation, with the addition of a prelude movement at the start of each partita. Originally, the term described a single-instrument piece of music from the 16th and 17th centuries. However, Johann Kuhnau (Thomaskantor at Leipzig until 1722), his student Christoph Graupner (1683–1760), and Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) used it to describe collections of musical pieces, as a synonym for "suite." During the early Baroque period, the term partita referred to a series of variations or a piece that included different dance styles.

Keyboard partitas

Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643) composed keyboard partitas as variations based on popular dance melodies from the early Baroque period, such as the Romancesca, La Monachina, Ruggiero, and La Folgio. Dietrich Buxtehude (1637–1707) and Johann Froberger (1616–1667) each wrote dance suites—Buxtehude wrote nineteen and Froberger wrote thirty. Buxtehude also created six sets of variations, which later influenced Johann Bach and his partitas. Johann Kuhnau (1660–1722) composed 14 suites called Partien (from the French word "partie," meaning "part"). His work ClavierÜbung I included seven suites in major keys: C, D, E, F, G, A, and B-flat. His ClavierÜbung II included seven suites in minor keys: C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Each suite (partita) began with a prelude. Kuhnau also wrote a partita titled Sechs musicalische Partien in 1697. Bach wrote six partitas for the keyboard, his first published work, in 1731. He used the same title, ClavierÜbung I, following Kuhnau, who was his predecessor as cantor at the Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig, Germany.

The most productive composer of partitas for the harpsichord was Christoph Graupner (1683–1760), who created 57 works in this form. His first set was published in 1718 and dedicated to his patron, Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. The last of his partitas are found in manuscripts dated 1750. These pieces are very difficult and skillful, showing a wide range of musical styles. In 2016, Shoah for Solo Violin and Sacred Temple by Jorge Grundman (born 1961) became the longest partita ever composed, lasting one hour and thirty minutes.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach composed six keyboard partitas, which were noted for having "greater freedom and expansion of form" compared to suites. An additional suite in B minor, called the Overture in the French Style (or French Overture), is sometimes grouped with the partitas. Like most keyboard partitas and dance suites, they were written in binary form, with both A and B sections repeated. The A section shifts from the tonic key to the dominant key, and the B section returns from the dominant key back to the tonic key. A dance suite typically has four main movements. The Allemande usually comes first and includes fast sixteenth notes. The Corrente (or Corrante) is a fast movement that begins with an upbeat note. The Sarabande follows, also starting with an upbeat, and is in triple meter. It is slow and emphasizes the second beat of each measure. The final movement, the Gigue, is very fast and often written in fugal form.

Bach’s first partita (BWV 825) was written in B-flat major and published in 1726. It began with a Praeludium and included an optional minuet. Partita No. 2 in C Minor (BWV 826) was published in 1727 along with Partita No. 3 in A Minor (BWV 827). Partita No. 2 began with a Sinfonia and included an optional rondeau. Partita No. 3 started with a Fantasia and included a burlesca and scherzo. Partita No. 4 in D Major (BWV 828) was published in 1728. It included an optional minuet and aria (air) and began with an overture. Partita No. 5 in G Major (BWV 829) was introduced by a Preambulum and optionally included a minuet and passapied. It was published in 1730 with Partita No. 6 in E Minor (BWV 830), which began with a Toccata and included a gavotte and aria.

In addition, Bach composed a Partita in A minor for solo flute (BWV 1013), which is structured as a suite of four dances. Modern editors gave it the title "partita," and it is sometimes played on the oboe. Bach also wrote three partitas for solo violin in 1720, pairing them with sonatas. He originally titled them the German Partia, but they are now commonly called the Italian partita, a term introduced in the Bach Gesellschaft edition in 1879. See also: Bach’s chorale partitas for organ.

Justin Peck

On October 30, 2012, Caroline Shaw created a musical piece called Partita for 8 voices. Later, American choreographer Justin Peck used this music as the foundation for his dance performance. Unlike traditional partitas from the Baroque period, which were instrumental, this version was a cappella and included dancing. It featured eight dancers who moved between solo and group dances. The suite lasts 20 minutes and was performed by the New York City Ballet on January 27, 2022.

Examples

• Johann Paul von Westhoff: Partitas for solo violin
• Johann Sebastian Bach: Partita for Violin No. 1, Partita for Violin No. 2 (1720), Partita for Violin No. 3, Partita in A minor for solo flute, Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major, BWV 825, Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826, Partita No. 3 in A minor, BWV 827, Partita No. 4 in D Major, BWV 828, Partita No. 5 in G Major, BWV 829, Partita No. 6 in E minor, BWV 830
• Christoph Graupner: Monatliche Clavier Früchte, GWV 109–120, 12 Partitas for Harpsichord (1722), 45 Partitas for Harpsichord (1718–1750)
• Franz Krommer: 38 partitas for wind ensemble
• Luigi Dallapiccola: Partita for orchestra (1932)
• William Walton: Partita for Orchestra (1957)
• Krzysztof Penderecki: Partita for Harpsichord and Orchestra (1972)
• Caroline Shaw: Partita for 8 Voices (2012)
• Philip Glass: Partita for Double Bass (2015), kPartita No. 1 for Solo Cello, "Songs and Poems," Partita No. 2 for Solo Cello
• Jorge Grundman: Shoah for Solo Violin and Sacred Temple (2016)
• Stephen Hough: Partita for piano (2019)