A Bach Partita is an essential part of a pianist’s repertoire. It is often the first requirement for a classical pianist’s solo recital or audition. But partitas are not what pianists would instinctively pull out from their bag of tricks when asked to play for an audience unfamiliar with classical music. Although extremely demanding, set against a piece composed in the 20th century or Romantic period, a partita would appear underwhelming to the untrained ear. But these partitas, these pieces of understated elegance, these pieces that instill restraint and timelessness, actually contain the foundations of pianistic education; from voicing, to phrasing, to breathing, to relishing counterpoints instead of fighting them, to ascertaining one’s balance, to finding one’s way and eventually arriving at the warm embrace, the sought-after resolution… in short, the Bach partitas teach one about life.
And that is perhaps why, out of all the piano compositions that were meaningful to Livia Bohusz in the story, Kingsolver chose to call the book “Partita”.
As a small-town pianist, there was so much to relate to about the seeming out-of-placeness of classical music in such a setting and in such a life. As someone who was scarred the most by someone whom I once thought was perfect for me, there was even more to resonate with. As someone whose greatest fears involve injuring one’s hands, I wondered for most of the novel if I would ever recover from it.
Surprised by the details presented in the book that, more often than not, only pianists are privy to, I was amazed by the profound level of research that Kingsolver devoted to Partita. Only to find out that she studied classical piano on a scholarship before changing her major to biology. Now I’m even more amazed that it was her lived experience with music that made this story so real and so tangible.
Partita is not only about art: It asks for whom art is and what art is for. Partita is not only about life: It asks whether we allow its difficulties to derail us from seeking that hopeful resolution. Partita is, thankfully, not saccharine about love: It only reveals that perfection and idealism have nothing to do with it. Above all, Partita is about hope: Something we all need these days.
