▽The Baroque German Violin Bow: A Lost Art ●09/27 04:15 Bach, himself an accomplished violinist, was familiar with both types of bow, choosing to use and to compose for one or the other as best suited the music and circumstances in performance. In his Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, Bach also pushed performers to their limits, requiring the frequent alternation between chords and singleline melody. Indeed the very intensity of