Partitas

Partitas, singular partita, is a term used in Baroque music to designate a suite or collection of instrumental pieces, typically arranged as a sequence of dances. The term comes from the Italian word partita, meaning part or section, and was used in Italian, German, and English sources to describe multipart musical works. A partita usually consists of multiple movements that may include standard dances such as allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue, often preceded by a prelude and followed by optional dances such as minuets, bourrées, or gavottes. While most associated with keyboard and solo-violin repertoire, partitas were written for other instruments as well.

Notable examples include Johann Sebastian Bach’s Partitas for keyboard, a set of six suites commonly cataloged as BWV 825–830. Bach also wrote six Partitas for solo violin, among which Partita No. 2 in D minor is especially celebrated for its Chaconne, a lengthy variations movement that has become one of the best known pieces in the violin repertoire. In the broader Baroque tradition, other composers produced partita-like suites that further developed the form.

In modern times partitas are chiefly encountered in early music performance and scholarship. They are studied for their musical architecture, dance rhythms, and historical performance practices, and continue to be programmed in concerts and recorded widely.