관현악 모음곡 3번 라장조, BWV 1068 중 '아리아' (G선상의 아리아) (Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068: II. Air)

"Air on the G String", also known as "Air for G String" and "Celebrated Air", is August Wilhelmj's 1871 arrangement of the second movement of Johann Sebastian Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068. The arrangement differs from the original in that it is transposed down into C major so the part of the first violins can be played entirely on the violin's lowest string (the G string, hence the name), which gave the piece its popular title. Bach originally composed the "Air" in the early 1730s during his tenure in Köthen as part of a five-movement suite for orchestra, in which only strings and basso continuo participate in the second movement. Wilhelmj's adaptation emphasizes a Romantic-era sensibility, with muted accompaniment and subdued dynamics, contrasting with Bach's original Baroque texture. The arrangement's popularity grew steadily in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially after performances at the Promenade Concerts (the Proms) in London. Critics and musicians offered mixed responses—some praised its lyrical reinterpretation, while others, such as Joseph Joachim and Donald Francis Tovey, dismissed it as a distortion of Bach's intent. Since then, "Air on the G String" has become a cultural staple: featured in films like Se7en (1995) and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), used in advertising campaigns, and frequently recorded in diverse arrangements, ranging from saxophone ensemble to metal reinterpretations, all preserving the name regardless of the original G‑string solo concept.