Zakhar Bron teaches Bach: Chaconne from Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin

Joan Sebastian Bach's famous Chaconne in a masterclass held by the great Zakhar Bron.

A violin teacher born in Oral, Kazakhstan, Zakhar Bron starting studying music at the age of eight, in the most prestigious music schools of Russia. Admitted in 1966 at the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow, he studied under maestro Igor Oistrakh's supervision until 1971 and then worked as Oistrakh's assistant teacher for the violin chair of the Conservatory until 1974. During his whole life, Bron has dedicated himself to teaching, giving classes at the Musikhochschule in Lubeck, at the Royal Academy in London, at the Conservatory in Rotterdam and at the Escuela Superior de Musica 'Reina Sofia' in Madrid where he still teaches.

In this masterclass, he works on Bach's Chaconne for solo violin, the famous final part of Bach's Partita No. 2 in D Minor for Solo Violin. A very long – it lasts more than the total of the four previous movements – and extremely varied and rich score, it makes the fame of this partita. A Major piece of the repertoire for solo violin of this time, it requires a great musical sensitivity but is also considered one of the most difficult pieces to play on this instrument. Joshua Bell is amazed by this partita: “Not only is it one of the best music pieces ever written, it is also one of the greatest creations of the human spirit. It is a spiritually and emotionally powerful and structurally perfect piece.”

.

The Masterclass Media Foundation Archives offer to students and music lovers around the world filmed masterclasses, given by the best talents, on the greatest works of the classical repertoire. Their primary purpose is to provide a valuable educational resource in order to perpetuate passion and knowledge from one generation to another.