Bach on the Lute | Volume II

Transcriptions and Adaptations for the Baroque Lute of Bach’s Great Works

This second volume expands the corpus of works for the Baroque lute by presenting transcriptions of the celebrated Sonatas, Partitas, and Suites for violin, cello, or harpsichord, covering BWV 1001 to 1013, including certain scordatura variants.

Prepared by Nigel North, internationally renowned lutenist and specialist in Bach’s music, this edition offers faithful and stylistically informed adaptations conceived for solo Baroque lute and transcribed in French Tablature according to eighteenth-century practices.

These pieces make it possible to explore, through a plucked string instrument, the contrapuntal richness and stylistic diversity of Bach’s repertoire. They complement the first volume by offering technically demanding and highly expressive works, testifying to the profound affinity between Bach’s musical world and that of the Baroque lute.

Nigel North – Lutenist, teacher, writer

British lutenist of international renown, Nigel North has played the lute since adolescence. He has taught at Indiana University Bloomington since 1999, after holding positions in London, Berlin, and The Hague. Self-taught on the lute, he was inspired by Michael Schäffer, Gustav Leonhardt, and the duo Tuck and Patti. His love for Bach is central to his career. In 1996, Julian Bream declared he was “dazzled by the mastery and musicality” of a Bach recital by Nigel in London. Among his major publications and recordings are Continuo Playing on the Lute, Archlute and Theorbo (Faber), Bach on the Lute (Linn Records), and works by John Dowland, Silvius Leopold Weiss, and Francesco da Milano.

Jean-Daniel Forget – Computer scientist, lutenist

Passionate about the baroque repertoire, Jean-Daniel Forget is a self-taught lutenist who has been copying and sharing ancient manuscripts for nearly twenty years. A computer scientist by profession, he masters music notation software adapted for tablature. In collaboration with Guy Grangereau, he provides tablatures on a dedicated website. He also assisted Miguel Serdoura in preparing his editions and his Baroque Lute Method.

Le Luth Doré Urtext Editions

Le Luth Doré Urtext Editions offer musical scores faithful to historical sources, intended for musicians and musicologists. Our editions combine careful engraving, practical layout, durable materials, and a detailed critical apparatus in multiple languages.

Each text is rigorously established note by note to ensure an authentic restitution of the works, preserving original fingerings and ornamentation, with stylistic suggestions provided where the sources allow.

All volumes are printed in Europe using professional offset printing, a demanding production choice that ensures precision, stability, and durability—essential for musical reading, performance practice, and long-term preservation.

Created by experts, our editions offer clear readability and an informed interpretation of early music repertoire.

Le Luth Doré Urtext Editions are dedicated to the memory of William H. Roberts († 2024), co-founder and guiding spirit of the collection.

• Editor(s): Nigel North
• Musical period: Baroque
• Instrument(s): 11c/13c Baroque lute
• Instrumentation: Solo Baroque lute
• Notation: French tablature
• Modern edition: Urtext
• Publisher: Le Luth Doré Urtext Editions
• Year of publication: 2023
• Series: Lute and Theorbo Music Collection
• Pages: 296 pp.
• Dimensions: 230 × 310 mm
• Weight: 1.000 kg
• Binding: Sewn perfect binding
• Cover: Soft cover with flaps, anti-scratch lamination, gold stamping, and spot varnish
• ISMN: 377-0-0017-8839-5

• Sonata in G minor after BWV 1001
• Partita in A minor after BWV 1002
• Sonata in A minor after BWV 1003
• Sonata in A minor (scordatura) after BWV 1003
• Partita in D minor after BWV 1004
• Sonata in C Major after BWV 1005
• Partita in F Major BWV 1006
• Suite in C Major after BWV 1007
• Suite in A minor after BWV 1008
• Suite in G Major after BWV 1009
• Suite in B flat Major after BWV 1010
• Suite in A Major (scordatura) after BWV 1010
• Suite in G minor BWV 1011/995
• Suite in D Major after BWV 1012
• Suite in C Major (scordatura) after BWV 1012
• Partita in A minor after BWV 1013