This collection addresses the technical and interpretive challenges of transcribing Johann Sebastian Bach's seminal works for solo violin for the viola. Watson Forbes, a renowned violist and pedagogue, provides a scholarly framework that adapts the original counterpoint and harmonic density of the Sonatas and Partitas to the unique tonal range and physical dimensions of the viola. The text serves as both a performance edition and a pedagogical resource for advanced string players seeking to master Baroque polyphony on an alto instrument.

Experts and professional violists frequently cite this edition as a standard reference for those performing the Bach solo repertoire. The editorial choices are widely regarded as sensitive to the instrument's darker timbre while preserving the structural rigor of the original compositions.