Guitar - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1316579 Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. Arranged by Simon James. Baroque,Chamber,Christmas,Classical,Contemporary. 10 pages. DML #905303. Published by DML (A0.1316579). Air On A G string is August Wilhelmj’s 1871 arrangement of the second movement of J. S. Bach’s Orchestral Suite No 3 in D major BWV 1068. The arrangement differs from the original in that the part of the first violins is transposed down so that the entire piece can be played on just the violin's lowest string (the G string, hence the name). In performance, that part is generally played by a single violin (instead of by the first violins as a group). This is however an arrangement of the original “Air†from the Orchestral Suite. Bach's third Orchestral Suite in D major, composed in the first half of the 18th century, has an Air as second movement. The music of the Air is written on four staves, for first and second violins, viola, and continuo. The interweaving melody lines of the high strings contrast with the pronounced rhythmic drive in the bass. I have followed this quite closely in the arrangement for guitar quartet in F major.
