Partita
A Baroque variation cycle or suite.
What it means
In the Baroque, partita designates two related things: a sequence of stylized dances, that is, a suite, and a variation cycle on a melody or a bass. The older meaning is that of the variation movement; in the eighteenth century, usage as a suite designation predominates. Both uses stand side by side, and the choice of title follows no fixed rule.
Musical use
As a suite, the partita comprises the customary dance movements — allemande, courante, sarabande, gigue — as well as inserted movements such as minuet, bourrée, or gavotte, often introduced by a prelude or an overture. As a variation cycle it unfolds, over a constant model, a series of changes, related to the chaconne and passacaglia. In both cases the form arises through stringing together, not through development: unity results from the shared key and from the relations between the movements. To distinguish: while the suite emphasizes the dance character, the partita can also have a purely variation character.
Performance practice
Get an overview of the movement sequence first and plan the tempo relations, so that the sequence gains an arc. Work out the dance characters: every movement has its own accent relations, and whoever knows them phrases more correctly. With variation cycles, plan the course as a whole and keep the basic tempo stable. Note repeats and decide deliberately about ornaments on the repeat. Check the edition for editorial additions.
Bear in mind that the title means different things depending on the work: a suite with dance movements demands a different approach than a variation cycle on a bass. Check this first and plan accordingly. With dance movements, the accent relations of each type are to be clarified, because they determine articulation and phrasing. Note that Bach's partitas for solo violin, alongside dances, also...
Check whether the title stands in the source or comes from the editor, because it raises expectations about the form.
Also check whether all transmitted movements are played, and name the selection in the programme.